Feelings are barometers, not rudders. Facts are rudders. Both are needed to navigate life. Take a journey of mixed metaphors with me...
It is amazing how our personal barometers struggle with our much needed personal rudder for control of our lives. I believe the reason being that a barometer is exposed, and if the attention is not good, our barometers increase in pressure. If our external barometers are not guided by our internal rudder, the pressure keeps rising, possibly to explode under pressure.
The rudder, however, is under water. Who knows what it looks like and if it is strong enough to withstand the waters it is traveling. But the waters have a way of testing us and pressing against our internal rudder. The barometer pressure rises and because it is tethered to the rudder struggles to gain control.
Decisions are made, words are said, all never to be taken back except in apology to another and confession to God. How great is the news of forgiveness in Christ, that we have Him to turn to when others may not forgive us, or when forgiveness returned and trust restored may delay longer than expected?
To whom do you go when your barometer's pressure is high? How sturdy is your rudder to withstand the uncertain waters below? Our internal rudder can only be formed by one thing, the words of God. What does He say are the facts about the matter? And if the matter is not clear, what does he say about the barometer of my attitude towards the uncertain matter at hand?
When my internal rudder is steady, my barometer returns to normal. If I know nothing but God in flesh born, died and raised, seated at God's right hand, I will have the courage to withstand, for God promises it to be so.
"You will keep in perfect peace [barometer] all who trust in you, all whose thoughts [rudders] are fixed on you!" Isaiah 26:3
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
God is in the Silences
One of the qualities of good friendships is that these friendships trust each other in the "silences," those times when we're given to think. If life is full of activity, color and minute-to-minute mind numbing stuff that pushes God far away somewhere as a spectator [hoping to get His attention by one's busy life], when silence comes, so comes a particular dumbfoundedness [what to do with the time we now have to think].
The Lord has given us silence as a tool, whether we don't have two seconds in a row to think consciously or whether our lives have more silence than we would want. We need silence. We cannot always control our surroundings, but God can train us to find silence among busy-ness. He can also use the large chunks of silence in our life to bring us closer to Him by serving others or studying about Him more. In the silences we call up what we feed our minds. Feeding on His Word calls His Voice to us. We are connected directly to God if we've obeyed Him through His command to be baptized for the removal of sins where His Good Spirit is implanted in us (Acts 2, specifically verse 38). God then grows us for the rest of our days spiritually so long as we long for Him in Scripture and act out what He is working in us.
I find that sweeping the floors, cleaning out dog bowls and leaving the media off meanwhile produce the silences that call me to God. He's always there. He does not change. His words speak to me in short snippets when I dare to listen. He longs to call me into His presence no matter where I am. I have not earned the right to call Him friend as Abraham was called friend, but I do know that being a daughter of God puts me in a place of being on holy ground all of the time whether those around me know it or not.
My prayer today is to listen a bit more. God cannot speak when one is filibustering, both in our minds and out loud. He needs silence, first in our souls and then with each other. I taught James 1:1-18 a few weeks ago, and a few days later I was put to the test. While part of the test was passed [due to God's rich grace], I failed another part of the test. I'm so in need of Him. How about you?
The Lord has given us silence as a tool, whether we don't have two seconds in a row to think consciously or whether our lives have more silence than we would want. We need silence. We cannot always control our surroundings, but God can train us to find silence among busy-ness. He can also use the large chunks of silence in our life to bring us closer to Him by serving others or studying about Him more. In the silences we call up what we feed our minds. Feeding on His Word calls His Voice to us. We are connected directly to God if we've obeyed Him through His command to be baptized for the removal of sins where His Good Spirit is implanted in us (Acts 2, specifically verse 38). God then grows us for the rest of our days spiritually so long as we long for Him in Scripture and act out what He is working in us.
I find that sweeping the floors, cleaning out dog bowls and leaving the media off meanwhile produce the silences that call me to God. He's always there. He does not change. His words speak to me in short snippets when I dare to listen. He longs to call me into His presence no matter where I am. I have not earned the right to call Him friend as Abraham was called friend, but I do know that being a daughter of God puts me in a place of being on holy ground all of the time whether those around me know it or not.
My prayer today is to listen a bit more. God cannot speak when one is filibustering, both in our minds and out loud. He needs silence, first in our souls and then with each other. I taught James 1:1-18 a few weeks ago, and a few days later I was put to the test. While part of the test was passed [due to God's rich grace], I failed another part of the test. I'm so in need of Him. How about you?
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