11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
Ezek 34:11-16 (KJV)
When I was a little girl, I did not have siblings my age nor neighbors close enough to play with everyday. I did not have video games available to while away my time. I had me, myself, and I. I recall a time when I was in elementary school that brings back vivid smells, visions, and heart feelings that gives me a comfortable feeling.
It was in the fall of the year. The mornings were very cool and the days were warm. On this particular day, there was a "northerner" blowing in and the wind was blowing fairly brisk. The sky was dark in the north and it just appeared ominous. The air was cool as the weather was about to change. We had a huge (well it was huge to me then) oak tree in our front yard. When the wind started blowing, I looked out our front screen door and there were leaves falling from the tree. It was a beautiful sight to me. I ran outside and began trying to catch the leaves that were falling. As I look back now, I'm not sure if I was trying to "save" the leaves from hitting the ground or if it had become some type of game for me, but which ever, I was determined!
The scripture in Ezekiel tells us that He chases after us, but how? How does God, our Shepherd, chase after us? The scripture says He does. The scripture says He looks for those that are hurt and wounded. He searches for the ones malnourished. Obviously, we are His sheep. Have you been wounded? Perhaps, you've been wounded by the church. Possibly, you're own choices have brought you pain. If you are lost or falling...There is hope! The God of ALL creation loves you and He will chase you just like I chased after the falling leaves. He uses the very people you are surrounded by to lift you out of your struggle.
This is a message for Christians. God has placed you in your place of influence to draw the hurt, battered, and struggling back to the One Who can mend them. We should never take it lightly that God has a plan and purpose for our position!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Grandfathers AKA "Pawpaws"
Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Prov 22:6 (ASV)
When I was a child, I was fortunate to live about 2/10 of a mile from my grandparents. Oh yes, I was spoiled rotten. And yes, I was loved by them. They watched me before I went to school when mom worked. They watched me in the summers when I was too young to stay by myself. To say that I was close to them is an understatement.
Mawmaw and Pawpaw saw to it that I went to church when Mom and Dad were not "regular" attenders. I attribute my spiritual education as a child to them. VBS was ALWAYS a time I looked forward to. During craft time, the workers would let me make two of whatever the craft was that day: one for Mom and Dad and one for Mawmaw and Pawpaw. Those are great memories.
During the summer, my cousins that lived in Greenville, MS would come and spend two or three weeks with them (me) and I have wonderful memories of them, also. Getting into the hen house to make "mud pies" (well, we needed eggs!), walking to the cemetery (just behind Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house), climbing in the old barn and corn bin (with all the mice and snakes, I shudder to think!), swinging in the old black walnut tree...Oh I could go on and on. There is one memory however, that as an adult brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.
Pawpaw had an old 65 Chevy truck. It was baby blue with white trim. I learned how to drive a standard on the column. In fact, I learned how to drive in that old truck driving on the gravel road between their house and ours. One summer, my cousins were down and we asked if we could paint Pawpaw's truck. What?! We were 8-10 years old. What were we thinking? He said "yes". What was he thinking?! He gave us a bucket of white paint and he told us where we could paint. And paint, we did! We tried to stay within the parameters he set for us, but hey, we were 8-10 years old! His reaction to our handiwork was priceless! He was so proud of what we had done that he showed it off to everyone that day! We were so proud that we had pleased our Pawpaw that we wanted everyone to see our "work".
That reminds me of our heavenly Father. I try to stay within the parameters that He has laid out for me, but I don't always make it. My grandparents instilled in me the importance of pleasing my Father and my Pawpaw showed me how much He delights in me by the way he found joy in me! To honor my Pawpaw's memory, I have restored his old truck. This time I had it professionally painted!
Prov 22:6 (ASV)
When I was a child, I was fortunate to live about 2/10 of a mile from my grandparents. Oh yes, I was spoiled rotten. And yes, I was loved by them. They watched me before I went to school when mom worked. They watched me in the summers when I was too young to stay by myself. To say that I was close to them is an understatement.
Mawmaw and Pawpaw saw to it that I went to church when Mom and Dad were not "regular" attenders. I attribute my spiritual education as a child to them. VBS was ALWAYS a time I looked forward to. During craft time, the workers would let me make two of whatever the craft was that day: one for Mom and Dad and one for Mawmaw and Pawpaw. Those are great memories.
During the summer, my cousins that lived in Greenville, MS would come and spend two or three weeks with them (me) and I have wonderful memories of them, also. Getting into the hen house to make "mud pies" (well, we needed eggs!), walking to the cemetery (just behind Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house), climbing in the old barn and corn bin (with all the mice and snakes, I shudder to think!), swinging in the old black walnut tree...Oh I could go on and on. There is one memory however, that as an adult brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.
Pawpaw had an old 65 Chevy truck. It was baby blue with white trim. I learned how to drive a standard on the column. In fact, I learned how to drive in that old truck driving on the gravel road between their house and ours. One summer, my cousins were down and we asked if we could paint Pawpaw's truck. What?! We were 8-10 years old. What were we thinking? He said "yes". What was he thinking?! He gave us a bucket of white paint and he told us where we could paint. And paint, we did! We tried to stay within the parameters he set for us, but hey, we were 8-10 years old! His reaction to our handiwork was priceless! He was so proud of what we had done that he showed it off to everyone that day! We were so proud that we had pleased our Pawpaw that we wanted everyone to see our "work".
That reminds me of our heavenly Father. I try to stay within the parameters that He has laid out for me, but I don't always make it. My grandparents instilled in me the importance of pleasing my Father and my Pawpaw showed me how much He delights in me by the way he found joy in me! To honor my Pawpaw's memory, I have restored his old truck. This time I had it professionally painted!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
God's ADHD Children
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Heb 12:1-2 (NLT)
When my son was a little boy, he was diagnosed as ADD. For those that have been under a rock for the past 20 years, ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder (without Hyperactivity). The classification for this diagnosis has changed two, maybe three, times in the past twenty years, but we will discuss ADD or ADHD in terms of how God must see His own children. The writer of Hebrews is talking to a bunch of spiritually ADD people(and us as well)! In 12:1-2 he says, "let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up." Every weight. Sin. Every weight. Sin. Things that hinder our relationship with our heavenly Father.
When I was fourteen, I gave my heart to Lord. I remember it was real, because I wanted others to have the same peace that I had been given. I even started taking my Bible to school with me and if you knew me back in those days, that was huge. I knew I had been rescued and I wanted others to experience what I had come to know to be real. I started reading my Bible every night and every day at school. I started going to the devotions that were held on school campus and even LED one. Huge! I mean HUGE for me.
I lived out in the country in a community called Fiske Union. It was a suburb of the parish seat, Oak Grove. When you live as far out in the country as I did, communities blended together much like a 3 year old's finger paint. It was a great place to grow up. The church I attended was in one of those blended communities called Beulah. It was in that little church that I came face to face with my need for a Savior.
One Saturday night in the Spring of my fourteenth year, I was invited to a party in Beulah community. Since I had been saved by Jesus, I was not on the popular list very much anymore. I had gone from very popular to "not so much" in seconds flat! So, when I got the invitation to go to the party, I went. Oh, I took my Bible! I sure did! And I left it sitting on the front seat of the truck. Now can you say "ADD moment"! I took my eyes off of Jesus and looked at what I was "missing". All my old friends were gonna be there and it was a senior party and I was a mere freshman. Can you sense the dilemma? I went telling myself the whole way there that I would not participate in ALL the party, but I could at least be sociable. And sociable, I was! When I left to go home, I barely even noticed my Bible, but by the time I made it home I realized just how far and quickly I had fallen back in the race!
You've heard it said that it takes years to build a reputation, but one act can tear it down. This is precisely what I did that night. I had been "sold out" to Jesus, until it started costing me something. My attention was firmly fixed on Jesus, until...It doesn't matter what draws your attention away from Jesus, the results are detrimental. If worry, dissatisfaction, prestige, etc. draws your attention away, they have a way of making you hyper-focus. This is another trait of ADHD. When you ruminate on the worries of the day, how can you focus on the faithfulness of God to provide for all your needs? If you are dissatisfied with your life and your circumstances, aren't you spitting in the face of God Almighty Who holds you in His hand? And if prestige and wealth have your attention, how can our God Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills bless you?
Yes, we are all ADHD when we look at it from a spiritual perspective. So, what do we do about it? How can we "medicate" our condition? I tell you, routine is the answer. I have seen first hand that routine can help someone with ADHD, but they were intrinsically motivated to change. That says that first, you must want to change the depth of your relationship with God. And second, just start DAILY spending time in His Word and praying. I suggest you pick a time and make it the same time everyday. Routine will lead you to a deeper relationship. How could someone spend time reading His Word and conversing with Him NOT fall deeply in love with Him?
One last word of caution.......
A rabbit!
Lori
Heb 12:1-2 (NLT)
When my son was a little boy, he was diagnosed as ADD. For those that have been under a rock for the past 20 years, ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder (without Hyperactivity). The classification for this diagnosis has changed two, maybe three, times in the past twenty years, but we will discuss ADD or ADHD in terms of how God must see His own children. The writer of Hebrews is talking to a bunch of spiritually ADD people(and us as well)! In 12:1-2 he says, "let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up." Every weight. Sin. Every weight. Sin. Things that hinder our relationship with our heavenly Father.
When I was fourteen, I gave my heart to Lord. I remember it was real, because I wanted others to have the same peace that I had been given. I even started taking my Bible to school with me and if you knew me back in those days, that was huge. I knew I had been rescued and I wanted others to experience what I had come to know to be real. I started reading my Bible every night and every day at school. I started going to the devotions that were held on school campus and even LED one. Huge! I mean HUGE for me.
I lived out in the country in a community called Fiske Union. It was a suburb of the parish seat, Oak Grove. When you live as far out in the country as I did, communities blended together much like a 3 year old's finger paint. It was a great place to grow up. The church I attended was in one of those blended communities called Beulah. It was in that little church that I came face to face with my need for a Savior.
One Saturday night in the Spring of my fourteenth year, I was invited to a party in Beulah community. Since I had been saved by Jesus, I was not on the popular list very much anymore. I had gone from very popular to "not so much" in seconds flat! So, when I got the invitation to go to the party, I went. Oh, I took my Bible! I sure did! And I left it sitting on the front seat of the truck. Now can you say "ADD moment"! I took my eyes off of Jesus and looked at what I was "missing". All my old friends were gonna be there and it was a senior party and I was a mere freshman. Can you sense the dilemma? I went telling myself the whole way there that I would not participate in ALL the party, but I could at least be sociable. And sociable, I was! When I left to go home, I barely even noticed my Bible, but by the time I made it home I realized just how far and quickly I had fallen back in the race!
You've heard it said that it takes years to build a reputation, but one act can tear it down. This is precisely what I did that night. I had been "sold out" to Jesus, until it started costing me something. My attention was firmly fixed on Jesus, until...It doesn't matter what draws your attention away from Jesus, the results are detrimental. If worry, dissatisfaction, prestige, etc. draws your attention away, they have a way of making you hyper-focus. This is another trait of ADHD. When you ruminate on the worries of the day, how can you focus on the faithfulness of God to provide for all your needs? If you are dissatisfied with your life and your circumstances, aren't you spitting in the face of God Almighty Who holds you in His hand? And if prestige and wealth have your attention, how can our God Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills bless you?
Yes, we are all ADHD when we look at it from a spiritual perspective. So, what do we do about it? How can we "medicate" our condition? I tell you, routine is the answer. I have seen first hand that routine can help someone with ADHD, but they were intrinsically motivated to change. That says that first, you must want to change the depth of your relationship with God. And second, just start DAILY spending time in His Word and praying. I suggest you pick a time and make it the same time everyday. Routine will lead you to a deeper relationship. How could someone spend time reading His Word and conversing with Him NOT fall deeply in love with Him?
One last word of caution.......
A rabbit!
Lori
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Bullies
1 Samuel 1:6 So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children.7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.
1 Sam 1:6-7 (NLT)
When I was a young girl, I was not very "girlie". I prided myself in being as rough and tough as the boys in my class. In fact, I was rougher than most of them and the problem with that is that I knew I could outdo them. Power is a dangerous thing, even at the age of 8 or 9 years old. I recall one boy particularly smaller and weaker. As I think back on him now, I see a kind, sweet-spirited little boy who was taught to be polite and kind by his parents. When I was a child, I saw an easy target to unleash my wounded spirit.
Children, suffering from abuse by someone they are powerless to, will, in turn, spew venomous anger in the form of abuse on those weaker than themselves. This is a Polaroid snapshot of one facet of my life and a subject I am too well familiar. You've heard it said that kids can be cruel, well I was "that" cruel kid, that is until the subject of my wrath's Mother caught me.
My elementary school was in a VERY small community and had a Mom and Pop grocery store right next door to it. After school, all the children would ride the bus home, regardless of how far you lived from school! When there were after-school activities, we could walk across the dirt road to get a snack (if we had a note from our parents). I have such warm feelings when I think back to that little country store. The owners were a precious older couple and they knew who we were (and our parents and our parents' parents!). They had "tickets". It was a store credit for farmers, mostly, to buy fuel, lunch, etc. and the family could buy a few groceries. The Carroll's had the store back when I was in elementary school. They knew I was Clarence and Odies' granddaughter and so if I came in without money...I guess I felt like "somebody" when I said "put it on the ticket" and they didn't even have to ask my name! Those were the days.
One afternoon, several of us were hanging out in the front of the store waiting for everyone to finish up when I looked up and my "bullseye" is walking over from a house across the main road! There I was. I had just had myself puffed-up as someone privileged because I charged food to my parents' bill AND all my peers were there looking up to me. I began blocking his entrance to the store. There were enough kids between the two of us and the door that the owners couldn't see what I was doing, but his mother could! The thing is...I didn't know his mother could see what I was doing and I wasn't aware of her until she stood behind him. He was crying by the time his mom got to him, so the embarrassment for him was already huge. When his mom was finished with me, my face burned with embarrassment! She taught me a lesson that day, one that has stayed with me to this day.
I learned to respect my peers more. I empathized with this guy that day after his mother helped me see the error of my ways. That day shaped me to be an empathizer rather than an abuser. The school of thought that the abused become the abusers has some credibility, that is unless someone intervenes. I was fortunate that someone intervened very early in my life.
Our feelings of inferiority can be projected onto us by our peers. Just like Peninnah was a member of the "haves" and Hannah the "have-nots", we as singles can see ourselves like Hannah. Sometimes, we bring those feelings onto ourselves. We compare ourselves to the people around us that have fulfilling marriages. In the words of Paul Harvey "And now for the rest of the story", 1 Samuel 1:19 tells us that the Lord "remembered" Hannah. The Lord has not forgotten you either. If it is your heart's desire to have a fulfilling marriage, He will meet those needs for you. Stay strong in your faith and trust that God has your future firmly sealed.
Our God is just. He has a way of leveling the playing field for us, but it is in His time. Just as that mother came and answered the taunting I was dishing out, God will step into your circumstance and meet your deepest needs if you are asking in line with His will! The enemy of our souls will constantly try to bully you by reminding you of the things you do not have as a single person. Dear brothers and sisters, embrace your stage in life with the exuberance God deserves! Indulge yourselves in the presence of the Lord and you will find the peace that comes when God closes the mouth of your "bully"!
1 Sam 1:6-7 (NLT)
When I was a young girl, I was not very "girlie". I prided myself in being as rough and tough as the boys in my class. In fact, I was rougher than most of them and the problem with that is that I knew I could outdo them. Power is a dangerous thing, even at the age of 8 or 9 years old. I recall one boy particularly smaller and weaker. As I think back on him now, I see a kind, sweet-spirited little boy who was taught to be polite and kind by his parents. When I was a child, I saw an easy target to unleash my wounded spirit.
Children, suffering from abuse by someone they are powerless to, will, in turn, spew venomous anger in the form of abuse on those weaker than themselves. This is a Polaroid snapshot of one facet of my life and a subject I am too well familiar. You've heard it said that kids can be cruel, well I was "that" cruel kid, that is until the subject of my wrath's Mother caught me.
My elementary school was in a VERY small community and had a Mom and Pop grocery store right next door to it. After school, all the children would ride the bus home, regardless of how far you lived from school! When there were after-school activities, we could walk across the dirt road to get a snack (if we had a note from our parents). I have such warm feelings when I think back to that little country store. The owners were a precious older couple and they knew who we were (and our parents and our parents' parents!). They had "tickets". It was a store credit for farmers, mostly, to buy fuel, lunch, etc. and the family could buy a few groceries. The Carroll's had the store back when I was in elementary school. They knew I was Clarence and Odies' granddaughter and so if I came in without money...I guess I felt like "somebody" when I said "put it on the ticket" and they didn't even have to ask my name! Those were the days.
One afternoon, several of us were hanging out in the front of the store waiting for everyone to finish up when I looked up and my "bullseye" is walking over from a house across the main road! There I was. I had just had myself puffed-up as someone privileged because I charged food to my parents' bill AND all my peers were there looking up to me. I began blocking his entrance to the store. There were enough kids between the two of us and the door that the owners couldn't see what I was doing, but his mother could! The thing is...I didn't know his mother could see what I was doing and I wasn't aware of her until she stood behind him. He was crying by the time his mom got to him, so the embarrassment for him was already huge. When his mom was finished with me, my face burned with embarrassment! She taught me a lesson that day, one that has stayed with me to this day.
I learned to respect my peers more. I empathized with this guy that day after his mother helped me see the error of my ways. That day shaped me to be an empathizer rather than an abuser. The school of thought that the abused become the abusers has some credibility, that is unless someone intervenes. I was fortunate that someone intervened very early in my life.
Our feelings of inferiority can be projected onto us by our peers. Just like Peninnah was a member of the "haves" and Hannah the "have-nots", we as singles can see ourselves like Hannah. Sometimes, we bring those feelings onto ourselves. We compare ourselves to the people around us that have fulfilling marriages. In the words of Paul Harvey "And now for the rest of the story", 1 Samuel 1:19 tells us that the Lord "remembered" Hannah. The Lord has not forgotten you either. If it is your heart's desire to have a fulfilling marriage, He will meet those needs for you. Stay strong in your faith and trust that God has your future firmly sealed.
Our God is just. He has a way of leveling the playing field for us, but it is in His time. Just as that mother came and answered the taunting I was dishing out, God will step into your circumstance and meet your deepest needs if you are asking in line with His will! The enemy of our souls will constantly try to bully you by reminding you of the things you do not have as a single person. Dear brothers and sisters, embrace your stage in life with the exuberance God deserves! Indulge yourselves in the presence of the Lord and you will find the peace that comes when God closes the mouth of your "bully"!
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Silence
One of the most uncomfortable things is silence when you are in the presence of someone that you are in disagreement with. You know..."the silent treatment?" I think nothing fustrates me more than the silent treatment. Whenever I have been in an argument with someone (especially when it was my fault), I wanted the other person to fight back. Argue with me! Say something!!! I'm talking about insults being hurled through the air like frisbees in the park on a Saturday afternoon! Ah, but when I am seated in the righteous corner, silence is golden! If I am the one withholding comments (out of spite, of course), it is just as satisfying as a good ol' fashioned hissy fit! This is a subject that I have been, unfortunately, highly skilled in. However, praise be to the Lord Jesus, I have learned self-control, for the most part, and I can keep silent when it is appropriate and speak only when there is a need.
After the book of Malachi, we need to be aware that God was silent for some 400 years after he used Malachi to speak to His children, Israel. Their hearts were cold toward God and His love for them. The Intertestamental Period had no prophets or inspired writers. God was silent. God was not absent. He was silent. God was keenly aware of all the goings on during this time. He was silent. There are six eras during this time: The Persian Era (397-336 B.C. which overlaps with Malachi); The The Greek Era (336-323 B.C.); The Egyptian Era (323-198 B.C.); The Syrian Era (198-165 B.C.); The Maccabean Era (165-63 B.C.); and The Roman Era (63-4 B.C.). God broke His silence with the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist as prophesied by Isaiah!
Have you ever considered what is significant about the 400 years of silence?
Have you ever experienced divine silence? *
If we continue in sin after we have been convicted by the Holy Spirit and refuse to get in line with His Word, well, His "voice" calling out to your conscience will get quieter and quieter. His silence is not ALWAYS a result of sin, but if you know that sin is the reason for His silence, why would you not ask Him to remove it. Being in a right relationship with God versus the lure of sin and it's empty promise to be fulfilling is the age old battle. The spirit versus the flesh, to state it more simply. Being single, silence can become deafening, especially if we live alone. At times, God is the only voice we have in our solitude. So, silence from sin is not golden! Keeping ourselves in a right relationship with God will keep a line of communication with Him open. I do not like the silent treatment and neither does He!
Hayes, Jason. (2009). Blemished: how the study of Malachi confronts empty religion. Lifeway Publishing: Nashville, TN.
After the book of Malachi, we need to be aware that God was silent for some 400 years after he used Malachi to speak to His children, Israel. Their hearts were cold toward God and His love for them. The Intertestamental Period had no prophets or inspired writers. God was silent. God was not absent. He was silent. God was keenly aware of all the goings on during this time. He was silent. There are six eras during this time: The Persian Era (397-336 B.C. which overlaps with Malachi); The The Greek Era (336-323 B.C.); The Egyptian Era (323-198 B.C.); The Syrian Era (198-165 B.C.); The Maccabean Era (165-63 B.C.); and The Roman Era (63-4 B.C.). God broke His silence with the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist as prophesied by Isaiah!
Have you ever considered what is significant about the 400 years of silence?
Have you ever experienced divine silence? *
If we continue in sin after we have been convicted by the Holy Spirit and refuse to get in line with His Word, well, His "voice" calling out to your conscience will get quieter and quieter. His silence is not ALWAYS a result of sin, but if you know that sin is the reason for His silence, why would you not ask Him to remove it. Being in a right relationship with God versus the lure of sin and it's empty promise to be fulfilling is the age old battle. The spirit versus the flesh, to state it more simply. Being single, silence can become deafening, especially if we live alone. At times, God is the only voice we have in our solitude. So, silence from sin is not golden! Keeping ourselves in a right relationship with God will keep a line of communication with Him open. I do not like the silent treatment and neither does He!
Hayes, Jason. (2009). Blemished: how the study of Malachi confronts empty religion. Lifeway Publishing: Nashville, TN.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Lying Heart
Jeremiah 17
9 The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
10 "I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."
The heart is considered the seat of emotions in our western culture. How many emotions can you list? Anger, fear, apathy, depression, love, happiness, etc. The list could go on for quite some length. Until you've personally dealt with the negative emotions on a gut wrenching level, you cannot judge how you would respond in any given situation and trying to do that, judge, makes you...well... judgmental.
The heart of the matter is what Jeremiah was trying to get us to understand. Jeremiah nailed it with his question, "Who can understand it?" As psychologists, we study emotions on so many different levels, but the One who understands the heart or emotions is the One we should turn to to get direction for our heart malfunctions. I am in no way minimizing the problems people face with emotional disturbances, but I do believe there is an answer.
Solomon in his wisdom gave us 78 references to the heart in the book of proverbs. All of which are a reference to the will, center of our appetites, and the mind. There is a slight variation in his use of the word heart in all the references, but essentially they are the same. He warns us to guard our hearts and trust in the Lord. It is easy to read the scriptures and know them by memory, but how often do we really trust the Lord with our emotions/heart. When you are angry, really angry, how honest are you with God? Do you cry out to the One Who already knows that you could bite nails in two? Or, when you are so depressed and all the light is gone and you do not even possess tunnel vision anymore...God already knows. So, the question we automatically ask is, "Why did God allow _______ to happen? (You fill in the blank.) Or, "Why doesn't God take away my ________? (You fill in the blank with your emotion.)
God does not have to answer for Himself, period. But God, being the God Who loves us and is just, does answer for Himself in His word. The ironic thing is that more often than not, our circumstances are the direct result of our own decisions or those around us making poor decisions. Proverbs is full of warnings and instruction and if we lived by them, we may find that our hearts would be at ease and our focus clearly in sync with God. True, when our circumstances are the direct result of someone else's choices, we look to God to "fix" the heart. The truth is God already fixed us through the Cross. God is the answer to mend a troubled heart.
Often, and definitely more often than not, our heart/emotional problems are rooted in sin. Sin is the new "four lettered" word. We want to be fixed. We want to feel good again. But, we do not want to deal with our part of the equation. Equation? Our sin + our circumstances = heart/emotional problems. Confession is a tool God provided us to deal with our emotional problems. Again, I want to emphasize that emotional problems are not simple fixes, but God can and will help you mend a troubled heart. Through Christ's redemptive work on the Cross, we can boldly approach the throne of Grace in confession of our sins.
Confession is a spring board to wellness. In James Penebaker's book Opening Up, he documents the physical benefits of expressing emotional pain in writing. In one study, he found that t-lympocytes (positive immunity cells)increased in the group that wrote from an emotional perspective about trauma they had experienced as opposed to two other groups that just wrote about facts void of emotion. Looking at this study from a spiritual perspective, one can surmise the benefits of confessing anger, depression, and general negative emotions associated with traumatic experiences. This is not to say that the traumatic event that may have occurred is in any way sinful on your part, but your reactions and behaviors following the event may result in sinful behavior (i.e. unresolved anger, substance abuse, promiscuity). These behaviors, left unchecked, will cause further emotional distress that will disrupt an otherwise joyful and productive life.
To conclude on the subject of sin and confession, confession truly is good for the soul/heart/emotions. An interesting side note on the word mind in verse 10, it means the seat of emotion and affection. God searches the heart and mind AND He understands it. Confessing to Him can and will begin the healing process. Simple? Yes. Easy? No. Who wants to admit fault to anyone? But, I encourage you to start the journey, journaling as you go.
Abba Father, I trust you with all that I am. As you search my heart, help me to openly confess to You the recesses of my dark heart. Amen.
Pennebaker, J. W. (1990). Opening up: the power of expressing emotions. New York: Guilford Press.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
10 "I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."
The heart is considered the seat of emotions in our western culture. How many emotions can you list? Anger, fear, apathy, depression, love, happiness, etc. The list could go on for quite some length. Until you've personally dealt with the negative emotions on a gut wrenching level, you cannot judge how you would respond in any given situation and trying to do that, judge, makes you...well... judgmental.
The heart of the matter is what Jeremiah was trying to get us to understand. Jeremiah nailed it with his question, "Who can understand it?" As psychologists, we study emotions on so many different levels, but the One who understands the heart or emotions is the One we should turn to to get direction for our heart malfunctions. I am in no way minimizing the problems people face with emotional disturbances, but I do believe there is an answer.
Solomon in his wisdom gave us 78 references to the heart in the book of proverbs. All of which are a reference to the will, center of our appetites, and the mind. There is a slight variation in his use of the word heart in all the references, but essentially they are the same. He warns us to guard our hearts and trust in the Lord. It is easy to read the scriptures and know them by memory, but how often do we really trust the Lord with our emotions/heart. When you are angry, really angry, how honest are you with God? Do you cry out to the One Who already knows that you could bite nails in two? Or, when you are so depressed and all the light is gone and you do not even possess tunnel vision anymore...God already knows. So, the question we automatically ask is, "Why did God allow _______ to happen? (You fill in the blank.) Or, "Why doesn't God take away my ________? (You fill in the blank with your emotion.)
God does not have to answer for Himself, period. But God, being the God Who loves us and is just, does answer for Himself in His word. The ironic thing is that more often than not, our circumstances are the direct result of our own decisions or those around us making poor decisions. Proverbs is full of warnings and instruction and if we lived by them, we may find that our hearts would be at ease and our focus clearly in sync with God. True, when our circumstances are the direct result of someone else's choices, we look to God to "fix" the heart. The truth is God already fixed us through the Cross. God is the answer to mend a troubled heart.
Often, and definitely more often than not, our heart/emotional problems are rooted in sin. Sin is the new "four lettered" word. We want to be fixed. We want to feel good again. But, we do not want to deal with our part of the equation. Equation? Our sin + our circumstances = heart/emotional problems. Confession is a tool God provided us to deal with our emotional problems. Again, I want to emphasize that emotional problems are not simple fixes, but God can and will help you mend a troubled heart. Through Christ's redemptive work on the Cross, we can boldly approach the throne of Grace in confession of our sins.
Confession is a spring board to wellness. In James Penebaker's book Opening Up, he documents the physical benefits of expressing emotional pain in writing. In one study, he found that t-lympocytes (positive immunity cells)increased in the group that wrote from an emotional perspective about trauma they had experienced as opposed to two other groups that just wrote about facts void of emotion. Looking at this study from a spiritual perspective, one can surmise the benefits of confessing anger, depression, and general negative emotions associated with traumatic experiences. This is not to say that the traumatic event that may have occurred is in any way sinful on your part, but your reactions and behaviors following the event may result in sinful behavior (i.e. unresolved anger, substance abuse, promiscuity). These behaviors, left unchecked, will cause further emotional distress that will disrupt an otherwise joyful and productive life.
To conclude on the subject of sin and confession, confession truly is good for the soul/heart/emotions. An interesting side note on the word mind in verse 10, it means the seat of emotion and affection. God searches the heart and mind AND He understands it. Confessing to Him can and will begin the healing process. Simple? Yes. Easy? No. Who wants to admit fault to anyone? But, I encourage you to start the journey, journaling as you go.
Abba Father, I trust you with all that I am. As you search my heart, help me to openly confess to You the recesses of my dark heart. Amen.
Pennebaker, J. W. (1990). Opening up: the power of expressing emotions. New York: Guilford Press.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Neatly Packaged Scripture
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. (Romans 8:26-27)
For those that have been brought up in church and learning Bible verses, we know all the "appropriate" verses to say in times of tragedy. The problem is that none of the verses feel adequate enough to sooth our hurting hearts. The anger that is deep within our hearts masks the good that God has stored there.
The ideas that come to mind are that God will not give you more than you can handle or that with Christ all things are possible. I KNOW these verses are true and I KNOW that God intended for them to get us through hard times, but when something happens that defies our understanding these verses come from rote memory and escape our hearts.
God, in His infinite wisdom, gave us His Holy Spirit. He knew there would be times that all we can do is groan out loud because of the pain in our heart. Recently I received news that left me crying out to God in only the way that the Holy Spirit could. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter-Counselor and God knows how much we need Him when we get "that phone call" or the news from the doctor we are not prepared to receive.
That name Comforter-Counselor is Paraclete in the Greek and is the word behind this name. It refers to an advocate. Someone who comes alongside to strengthen and fight on behalf of another. Today, I need the Holy Spirit Comforter Counselor. My prayer...
My Father, hear our hearts cry. Listen to the Holy Spirit as He intercedes on our behalf. We need the peace You promise us and the strength to get through this time of profound loss. Even now, words escape me. Please help us. In Jesus Name, Amen.
For those that have been brought up in church and learning Bible verses, we know all the "appropriate" verses to say in times of tragedy. The problem is that none of the verses feel adequate enough to sooth our hurting hearts. The anger that is deep within our hearts masks the good that God has stored there.
The ideas that come to mind are that God will not give you more than you can handle or that with Christ all things are possible. I KNOW these verses are true and I KNOW that God intended for them to get us through hard times, but when something happens that defies our understanding these verses come from rote memory and escape our hearts.
God, in His infinite wisdom, gave us His Holy Spirit. He knew there would be times that all we can do is groan out loud because of the pain in our heart. Recently I received news that left me crying out to God in only the way that the Holy Spirit could. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter-Counselor and God knows how much we need Him when we get "that phone call" or the news from the doctor we are not prepared to receive.
That name Comforter-Counselor is Paraclete in the Greek and is the word behind this name. It refers to an advocate. Someone who comes alongside to strengthen and fight on behalf of another. Today, I need the Holy Spirit Comforter Counselor. My prayer...
My Father, hear our hearts cry. Listen to the Holy Spirit as He intercedes on our behalf. We need the peace You promise us and the strength to get through this time of profound loss. Even now, words escape me. Please help us. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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