Far Better

As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. Mark 9:13

In last week’s blog we explored Mark 7:37 and how the crowds were overwhelmed with amazement at Jesus and His miracles. Today’s verse continues the same thought and adds that the people took action. They ran to Him.

I don’t know that I’ve ever really seen this verse so stark in its beauty before now.

In our overwhelming journeys of life, we run to our various and wonderful activities and to people and leisure.

We run to:
Food
Church ministries
Work
Games
Parties
Gatherings
Sports events
Sunsets
Pets
Music
Art
Play and relaxation
Television
Sleep
Hobbies
Children or spouse
Friends or peers
We also run to alcohol, boredom, negativity, anger or illness

Most of these bring us hearts full of joy and rightly so. We were made to live in community! We process our thoughts and heal while pursuing restful and calming activities.

Obviously, the poor choices I mentioned can ruin and waste our precious moments. Paying attention to what we value most helps us to be intentional with what we do in our season of trials.

However, when we are restless, wanting our pain to be gone (now!) all the pursuits of this list pale in comparison to the gift we have of running to our sweet Savior, Jesus.

We may not receive the quick resolution, but a resolution is not always what we need. We receive something far better: the Lord’s presence, His comfort and care. In fact, sometimes, any one thing on this list might even be a distraction from receiving what we truly need from Him, who is our best possible hope. Running to Him and bowing before His supreme love and sacrifice can move us to be open about having replenished and softened hearts (as opposed to staying in a habit [stuck] in our struggles). With His healing touch, we have more energy and stamina to be His hands and voice to a world in need.

The older I become, the more I realize: God wants us to lay everything (EVERYTHING) at His feet. He wants us to trust (truly TRUST) Him with why we must go through these struggles.

The beauty of pouring our anxieties and griefs out to Jesus is that, many times, His care for us will include His provision (at just the right moment) of a friend, a delicious plate of food, a day or week of rest or an inspirational movie that reminds us of who we are in Him. Healing through Jesus is pure and right and eventually stands us back up on our feet to fulfill His great callings. However, when we reach out on our own to manipulate food, friends, children or spouses (without Jesus) for the purpose of a quick fix of our problems, it only ends in more grief, sadness and restlessness. Jesus is the answer to everything, always! He has a way of bringing us peace even in our darkest moments.

Jesus, we run to you this day, first. Before we even think about all the other places of refuge, your name comes to mind. Let this become our greatest habit, our deepest desire. Bring healing to our souls and give us eyes to see you with clarity. Give us the heart of a child who wouldn’t hesitate to run to you, Lord. Make us aware of those who need your strength through us this day and give us all we need in our weakness to be a light. In Jesus name, we worship you. Amen.

Return to Your Rest

 Ps 116:7 Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7

Soothing verse!

However, rest goes much deeper than sleep or recreation. This rest affects the soul. Our souls get tired. From what?

How about sleepless nights, dreary days, overwhelming responsibilities, problems at home, problems at work, illnesses, relationships, change or a loved one’s death.

Yet, let’s go a little further. What exhausts our souls even more than those things? How about bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, jealousy, over-anger, control, pickiness, self-pity,….and the list goes on.

The Psalmist, who wrote the chapter, was indeed, dealing with the former: an illness or a dangerous situation that brought him near death. He cried out to God and God delivered him.

That’s when he said, “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.”

Eventually, this man succumbed to death, whether through illness, injury or old age. Yet, somehow, it is good to know that today, we can return to rest for our souls no matter what is going on in our lives.

I’ve thought about this all week. My soul hasn’t felt restful lately. And I wondered what was wrong. Why couldn’t I just pray and then everything change for the good?

I realize that several options present themselves. My unchangeable circumstances are not limiting me. If this was a permanent situation, I would eventually, somehow, have to find my peace with God. But my current season will not last long.

I simply have felt like I was drowning with too many things on my plate. Anger has been chipping away at my armor, behind the scenes, in quiet jabs from the enemy and uneasy feelings, filling my thoughts with a lack of peace. I haven’t been ill or dying (like the man in the Psalm), but inside I felt like I was. I had to make a change or my soul would not find rest.

At one point, I asked God to help me. I cried out to Him as the Psalmist did.

Ideas began to flow in my mind. It dawned on me to take a good look at my days and prioritize the things that reflected my life’s goals (as directed by God). Maybe this sounds simplistic. Being able to reassess my life typically comes easy for me. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

Because life sometimes slips in and takes over.

“No more!” I said to myself.

It helped to sit with God and reevaluate His plan for me. Perfection wasn’t the goal, as much as knowing the direction to take…with Him as my guide, and also, knowing that this would be a process, not an overnight change! In other words, there would be no quick fix to my life. (I wasn’t immediately delivered.) The process of going through something hard seems to be a work that God wants to do in my soul to grow me.

Sometimes, He gives quick answers of yes or no.
Sometimes, He says, wait.
And sometimes, He gives the answer by saying, “This is going to take a long time for you to learn (comprehend and understand). Nevertheless, I am here, and I am doing a mighty work, trust me!”

God is good, so good. And He shows me His goodness in some pretty funny ways.

Our new puppy loves to ‘hug’ me. We’re adjusting to each other and she is messy. So I have decided to put on old jeans and a T-shirt and then get down on the floor with her. I stroke her soft fur and let her give me wiggly, wild kisses on my chin. After that, she seems to settle down…for the moment.

I can be pretty messy (sinful) as well in my human state!

At one time in history, God put on flesh and got down on the floor with us. Jesus came to earth and dwelled among us. His death on a cruel cross was His way of patting our heads, holding us close, comforting us and curing our lostness. Though He is in Heaven now, with His Father, His Spirit is in my heart. He is with me always. He will never leave me. He soothes my anxious mind and settles my fears. He gives me rest. It is mine to take into my soul.

Lord, thank you for holding me tight and loving me so dearly. I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the rest you give my soul. You help me to see my own responsibility for the choices I make for my life. Keep me full of your wisdom. Help me to daily offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you. Then I can know your will for me. In Jesus name, Amen.

What’s Coming Next?

Exodus 6:9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.

After the Israelites response of worship to God in the last blog, Moses relayed God’s words to Pharaoh, and as anticipated, he turned him down flat. In fact, out of spite, Pharaoh increased the work of the Israelites to the extreme.

Moses brought their complaints to God, who, once again, promised to bring them out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, to free them from slavery and to redeem them with His outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment.

But the Israelites were too burdened and overwhelmed in their suffering to believe much of anything Moses said. They were caught up in their pain and earthly view. They were caught up in their lack of faith and their lack of knowledge of God and His truth.

Their discouragement was contagious. It spread to Moses. “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?” Exodus 6:12

But God told him to go and speak to Pharoah, adding, of course: “He will not listen to you.”

Did you see that? God agreed with Moses.

His agreement captured my attention as I read the story.

There will be times when our discouragement will be warranted. The facts are clear. Some bad things that we imagine in our minds will happen.

But even in our discouragement, we must always ponder, what’s coming next?

In this story, God’s mighty works were about to show them that He is Lord over all.

When my discouragement is real, God wants me to turn my focus on how real HE is and not sit in despair that the earth is more than happy to provide me.

In another story (John 20:16), after the resurrection of Jesus, Mary was weeping, looking for her Lord at the tomb site, but she couldn’t find him. She was discouraged. But what was coming next?

Jesus called out to her, Mary….

He spoke in a way that only He could say it. She turned toward Him and cried out in relief. Not only was his body found, He was alive! Oh, the joy Mary must have felt.

The side note that came to me as I was reading this passage was that her “turning” towards him describes an important word in the Bible, repent.

Repentance is not just saying I’m sorry and then going back to whatever we were doing. It is a complete turn toward Jesus. It is a changed life and a surrendering to His love.

Mary had done no wrong, yet in turning toward her Lord after hearing her name, everything was different than it had been a few minutes before when she was overwhelmed in tears.

When my name is called out in love, it does something wonderful to me. But to hear my name through the lips of Jesus would be extraordinarily significant.

May we learn each and every day, in all our discouragements, whether in sin or not, to keep our eyes turned to the Lord who knows each of us by name.

And that is exactly what God wanted from the Israelites. What happened next for them is that the Lord eventually brought His mighty acts of judgement upon Egypt and brought the Israelites out. He even made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, who gave them what they asked for their journey ahead.

What a wonderful beginning to their new lives.

Father, as I start my new year, help me to have faith to realize that the story of my life isn’t over yet, and that all discouraging issues are simply opportunities for me to anticipate what you will do next. You are God over all the earth. I want to come to know you and your mighty ways. I bow before you and worship you. In Jesus name, Amen.