Today I was reading in Come Away My Beloved and I was drawn to a part that I had underlined a little more than three years ago. It was this:
“Learn My rules, and put them into practice consistently, if you desire to see progress in the growth of your soul. Holiness is not a feeling-it is the end product of obedience. Purity is not a gift- it is the result of repentance and serious pursuit of God.”
I can remember underlining these things. It was at a time that I was still struggling to control my life. I wasn’t ready to deny myself of certain things and there was a huge immaturity to my Christian walk. I thought that God would just instantly change me and he would be the one to do all the work. I wasn’t taking responsibility for my own actions. I had the what are you going to do for me attitude. I remember reading this and being corrected. Not in a harsh way but in the way that a Father corrects his child. These statements are wise, simple but complex, and very much something that we need to hear. It spoke to me then and still speaks to me. I hope it speaks to you today. We have a role to uphold and purpose. What we do or don’t do will produce a result, and I have to say holiness and purity are things that I strive for. I hope you do too! Have a blessed and wonderful Labor Day weekend!
Lacey
This post is nothing but a thought in process… perhaps, I can convince you to chime in.
There are a couple verses in the book of Esther that have me thinking.
A little background: Mordecai has asked Esther, his niece, to go before the king, uninvited, to seek the deliverance of her people. Though Esther was queen, she could not approach her husband uninvited without fear of death. She relays this to her uncle who, no doubt, knew this law well and still asked her to help. His response to her anxiety is found in chapter 4, verses 13 and 14.
“Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.”
This passage is ripe with motivation, inspiration, and a bit of confusion. It makes perfect sense for Mordecai to ask Esther for help, at the risk of her own life, if she truly was the nation’s only hope. But, Mordecai makes it perfectly clear that he believes God had ordained the deliverance of the Jews. From Mordecai’s mouth to Esther’s ears, it seems like Mordecai is implying, if not flat out saying, that disobedience in this matter will cost Esther more than it will cost the nation. “Relief and deliverence will come,” he assures her, but “you and your father’s house will perish,” he says.
So, in my lingo, he’s saying that the nation will be taken care of, Esther, but if you fail to speak out, it will be the death of you and yours.
It’s just such an interesting passage. So often, Esther is lauded as the only hope for her people. But, had she been disobedient, how would God have orchestrated deliverance? What would he have done? I have no idea, but like Mordecai, I’m confident that relief would have come from somewhere.
I’m rambling. I’m thinking. I’m musing aloud. But, this passage makes me consider the importance of my own decisions. The fact that while I may think inaction will protect me and mine, the reality is that God’s plan in the earth will move forward with or without me. My failure to act when called upon, may not devastate God’s overall scheme, but it could certainly cost myself and those closest to me.
Hmmmm…. just a thought. In progress. Have one you’d like to throw in?
Wizard of Oz
“There’s no place like home.” Dorthoy Gale was correct in making this statement. Home is where the heart is, and for me there is nothing like it in the world. Home is not reserved to just a place of residence, it can be anywhere you make it. Okay, I think I have exhausted most of the clichés about home! I have found a wonderful home. I found it long ago, and though I went in and out for a number of years, I have always been welcomed with open arms. This home would be my Church. There is comfort there, and a sense of ease often comes over me because I know that it is the place where I get to spend time with my Abba Father and all of my brothers and sisters. I have such a fondness for my home. The faces, the activities, the sounds, they all fill my heart with so much! Even though I love this home, the thing I find that brings me the most comfort is that it is preparing me for the home that awaits me. Jesus said in John 14:2-4, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Nothing on earth can compare to our true home. Though we make our homes with what we have been given, we do not have to be so comfortable that we fail to recognize the value and greatness of the home that awaits us, or the sacrifice and love it took to allow us access. Christ makes his home in our hearts and helps to teach us to wait in eager anticipation for the home prepared for those willing to put their trust and faith in their Father. It is the treasure that we work hard for, knowing that in time it will be ours forevermore if we continue to seek the kingdom first and obediently follow His instructions. I often get lost in my earthly home, failing to remember that the one that I cannot currently see is so much more than I could ever hope for or ask for. Colossians 3:2-3, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” Think of home often, strive to be worthy of it, and recognize the richness it will bring. There really is no place like home!
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
Hope everyone has a great weekend,
Lacey
Does any
body remember that older church song called Thank You for the Cross? This week I have constantly been humming that little ditty. In the verse of the song the focus is on the transforming power that the cross provides for us. Here is the lyrics for the verse:
Thank You for the cross, the mighty cross,
That God Himself should die for such as us,
And everyday we’re changed into Your image more and more,
Yes, by the cross we’ve truly been transformed.
Amen & Amen! Now, what I like to do is personalize the song (this is a little nod to Nancy Martin). I like to sing it like this …. “Thank you for the cross, the mighty cross. That God Himself should die for such as ME. And everyday I’M changed into His image more and more. Yes, by the cross I’VE truly been transformed!” There is just something moving and powerful about personalizing songs. To be able to stir my spirit and declare to my very soul that I’ve been transformed, I will continue to be transformed, and I will yet be transformed is powerful. It is such a reminder of what the MIGHTY CROSS had afforded me and reminds me that each day I’m to become more and more like Christ. What a great and wonderful message!
Oh the power of the MIGHTY CROSS! I hope this week you will be encouraged about your transformation made possible by the sacrifice of the sinless, spotless Lamb upon that great cross. I hope you will be stirred and moved to declare to your soul the greatness of being transformed into His image each and everyday!
Have a wonderful week!
Love ya’ll,
Fast Twitch Out
I am a sucker for a fabulous worship service. Oh, I know it’s not about me or what I gain from being in the presence of the Lord, but I find that God unleashes His creativity while I’m there. He dumps it on me. While in worship, I get ideas for plays and songs. Entire musicals play out in my spirit. As I think on Him and His goodness, He gives me ways to show it to the world.
Often, He speaks to me in stories. While I’m belting out the latest Chris Tomlin, He’s weaving together images and characters to teach me something. And, I’m so grateful. He is my God. He is my creator. He knows me better than I know myself and knows I learn best through the telling and hearing of stories.
This isn’t a new hobby of His, though.
Christ often used colorful stories to teach. The New Testament is full of examples. Our Bibles even give them titles: The Lost Coin, The Prodigal Son, The Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Sower, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, The Parable of the Net, The Ten Virgins, The Parable of the Talents, The Parable of the Wedding Banquet…..
Really, the list goes on and on.
Today, I thought I’d tell you which parable is my favorite and just why I hold it in such high esteem. And then, I’d love you to do the same.
My absolute favorite parable is The Sheep and the Goats. It is an incredibly poignant tale, told vividly, by the Master Storyteller. Every time I read it, I can see the characters and their emotion. Their elation and disappointment. I see God and the angels. I see men and women who have given of themselves and who are rewarded for doing so. I see the disobedient and self-centered. I see hellfire and damnation. All of it. And I thank God that He uses stories to convey such rich meaning.
I also have a selfish reason for liking this one. Back in the day, while at a national puppetry and mime competition (if you need details about my sordid background, rest easy, I’ll dedicate an entire post to puppets one of these days) I got to participate in a drama set to Keith Green’s song by the same name. You can’t begin to understand the awesomeness of this drama. 
But, more than the performance, we spent time discussing the passage. The group’s insight was eye-opening. More than anything it reinforced, in me, the idea that stories are best understood when there are more than one of us present to digest and discuss the words we hear.
In any case, I’d tell you the story of The Sheep and the Goats, but perhaps I should just let Keith do the honors. Keith Green, ladies and gentleman. Quite a storyteller, himself!
AND CHECK OUT THAT BEARD!
“Watch and pray, dear, never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault.”
I read this statement from Little Women a few weeks ago. Mrs. March (mom) is helping Jo (daughter) work on her temper. Couldn’t we all use this statement for our own faults? We often think if we just ignore these faults they will go away or that if we don’t call attention to them no one will notice. But inevitably our faults hurt others and can cause us to stumble. They can even push us farther away from God. Sometimes we fool ourselves into believing that we cannot change or be changed. As if the power that raised Christ from the dead doesn’t have the ability to help us overcome our temper or whatever it may be. We tell ourselves that we are too broken to be fixed or that God shouldn’t waste His time on us because we are a lost cause. No matter how much we give up on ourselves God remains faithful to us. Although I love this line I think I would change it a tad. Sorry Louisa May Alcott! I love the majority of it but I think the finally part should be “never think it is impossible for God to help you conquer your faults.” I think knowing that we have someone, and at that the creator of the universe, on our side helps makes us stronger, it helps to hold us accountable, and helps us to endure through rough seasons. I couldn’t help but come back to a passage that I have talked about before. In Ephesians 4: 14-21 Paul is praying for spiritual growth. He is encouraging them in the same way that Mrs. March was seeking to reassure her daughter, and much in the same way we must continue to support each other.
“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all the glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
Never stop praying, never stop trying, and never give up hope that all can be conquered with God!
Love you all,
Lacey
Summer school is officially finished. YES! To celebrate the completion of summer school I purchased some new softball gear and went on a softball playing frenzy. I bought a nice new tee to help focus on my hitting mechanics and I bought new wiffle balls and softballs. It was all so very exciting! Most of you don’t really care and I understand – - bear with me. I even set up a video camera to film myself hitting so that I could break down my swing to see where I could be more effective and efficient. I wanted to see what I could change about my swing so that I could be more productive and powerful. You know there is just something beautiful about a flawless swing! It was amazing to actually look at my swing videotaped. I saw all sorts of imperfections in my swing – - I was taking too big of a stride, my timing was off, and my weight was on my front foot. Before I videotaped myself I would have said my swing was looking good and was pretty efficient. When I saw the video I had no way of denying my areas of weakness and the shortcomings within my swing. The great thing about knowing the hitches in my swing is that now I can address them and become a better hitter. A better hitter for all these imaginary softball games I’ve been a part of! lolLately I’ve been meditating on this portion of scripture. To have God point out things within me that are offensive to His nature, to His holiness is quite the humbling adventure. The great thing is that He is willing to tell me. He knows my heart and my thoughts and knows all that I do and He is willing to point out areas of my life that are offensive to His nature. He sees the things in me that maybe I do not give much attention to or let slide that actually hinder my relationship with him and that hinder my effectiveness in the kingdom. He sees it all. As I have been asking Him to point out the offensive areas of my life, He has be so faithful to respond. The good news is the fact that once He points them out I have the chance and really no excuse not to address them. Asking God to point out areas of my life that offend him is like watching my softball swing on videotape. BOOM! No way of denying the issues. I know I will never be flawless this side of heaven, just like my softball swing will never be perfect, but I will strive for perfection anyway. As I address these issues in my life I will become more efficient and effect for the kingdom! That is exciting! So my goal is to continue to ask God what is offensive to him in my life and to then address these things so that 2 Peter 1:5-8 will be the story of my life.
2 Peter 1:5-8
“Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Happy Tuesday!
Love ya’ll -
Fast Twitch Out!