Space to Heal, Air to Breathe

Scripture- Psalm 69:29 (The Message) I’m hurt and in pain; give me space for healing, and mountain air.

Observations- In this lament psalm of David he is feeling ridiculed, betrayed, judged, and abandoned… sinking and drowning. He cries out to God for deliverance and salvation. He is concerned that his circumstances will discourage others from seeking God. In the midst of all this oppressive pain and discouragement, David asks God for “space.” He feels pressed in on every side and pleads with God to give him room to breathe so he can heal. He longs for the refreshment of “mountain air.”

Application- Up until the decision was made to close Crosspoint, I felt the pressure of persevering–the weight of wondering what to do and where to turn. Once the decision was made there was a short-lived sense of relief; but the relief was quickly replaced by the overwhelming pain of loss–the sadness of the end of an era. Every activity, preparation, even every thought had the weight of grief mixed with the pain of the loss of something I had poured so much of myself into. With David, I cry out to God from the sinking, drowning feeling I have and I pray for space… space to breathe, space to grieve, space to heal, space to regain a sense of purpose and a God-confidence that oozes great hope for what’s next.

Prayer- Abba, you alone can give me the space to heal and the fresh mountain air to breathe new life into my soul. Thank you that you are with me in and through it all.

God’s Active Restoration

Scripture- Deuteronomy 30:3,10 GOD, your God, will restore everything you lost; he’ll have compassion on you; he’ll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered… Nothing halfhearted here; you must return to GOD, your God, totally, heart and soul, holding nothing back.

Observations- God is not heartless or merciless. He is more than willing to restore what we lose when we turn away and go astray. He cares about the circumstances of our lives. He is not passive in the restoration, but is a compassionate participant. He allows the consequences of rebellion to break our will; but when we repent, God is ready and willing to restore what was lost. It is important to note that our repentance and return must not be halfhearted. Our return to God requires a total release of sin, rebellion, and control. It must be a surrender of the whole person–inward as well as outward.

Application- This latest season of loss has once again left me humbled. The church that was built with 19 years of blood, sweat, tears, perseverance, and prayer took less than two months from decision to disbanding. It is surreal to realize that Crosspoint won’t be meeting together this Sunday. I cling to God’s promise that He will restore what was lost–that God will be active in the restoration. I am thankful for the kingdom-building that will never be lost. I am thankful for the friends who stood with us to the end. I look forward to the restoration of the losses with wholehearted surrender to GOD, my God, who is worthy of trust.

Prayer- Abba, please restore what was lost, remind me of all I have been given, and rebuild my life in confident trust of You.

Our Sympathetic God

This year I have chosen to do my devotional Bible reading in The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. As Peterson says in the Introduction: “The Message is a reading Bible. It is not intended to replace the excellent study Bibles that are available.” I won’t be preaching or teaching from The Message. I won’t be using it as a study Bible. I will simply be using it for my devotional Bible reading at look forward to the fresh encouragement it will bring. I know I need it.

Scripture- Exodus 2:24-25 God listened to their groanings. God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw what was going on with Israel. God understood.

Observations- God listened to the cries of the people of Israel. He did not turn a deaf ear. God continued to be faithful in fulfilling his unconditional promise which he made to Abraham and reaffirmed with Abraham’s son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, who was renamed Israel–the namesake of a nation. God saw the very real pain of his people. He was not unaware.And God “got it”… he understood their pain.

Application- God listens to my prayers, even when it seems like nothing changes. God is faithful in his promises, even when it seems in the moment like I am all alone. God sees all that is going on in my life; whether I am suffering the consequences of my sin or whether I am sharin in Jesus’ suffering. God understands because Jesus endured temptation, rejection, and suffering–all in fulfillment of his Father’s will.

Prayer- Abba, I cry out to you because I know and trust in the fact that you hear my prayers… even my cries of pain and heartache. Abba, I know and trust in the fact that you are always faithful to your promises… the greatest of which is your promise to be with me. Abba, I know and trust in the fact that you see everything in my life. I can’t pretend with you and I never need to perform for you. You are aware of the self-inflicted pain of my poor choices and you are aware of the other-inflicted pain of life in this sin-scarred world. And Abba, you are not only aware of my pain… you understand it because your One and Only Son became flesh, lived, suffered, and died. He cried out and you heard. You “remembered” him when he was in the grave and faithfully raised him so I too have the hope of the resurrection.

Fully God, Fully Man: Full of Grace, Full of Truth

Scripture- John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father,  full of grace and truth.

Observations- Jesus is “the Word”… the revelation of God in flesh. For a season the Word lived in space and time on the earth. Eyewitnesses saw Him in all His amazing person and deeds. The Word is God the Son and there is no other person like Him. He truly is the One and Only. The Son came on assignment from the Father. He was completely full of grace and completely full of truth. Real grace and real truth are not contradictory; they complement each other.

Application- Jesus came to fully reveal the grace of God and the truth of God. Only Jesus, the One and Only, can be truly full of both grace and truth. His sinless nature positions Him uniquely to extend grace since He owes no debt of sin. Jesus fully knows and fully reveals truth. He is the embodiment of truth. As I look to imitate Jesus, I look to be full of both grace and truth. I need to speak grace into the lives of those I encounter. I do not look to people to please me, to agree with me, or even to extend grace to me. I extend myself “in spite of”, fully imitating the One and Only. My extension of grace never requires me to compromise the truth of God’s Word. It requires me to “bear with”, to put aside my preferences, to humble myself, and to forgive; but not to withhold or compromise the Word of God. Grace and truth are not contradictory, but rather are complementary. May my life strive to be full of both grace and truth.

Prayer- Abba, may I seek to pattern my life after your One and Only. I won’t be fully like Him this side of heaven, but I commit my life to following His example.

A Servant’s Scalpel

Scripture- 2 Timothy 2:24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Observations- Paul describes some traits of those who serve the Lord for his young protegé Timothy. There are 2 pairs of statements that make their point by using contrast. A servant isn’t argumentative, but instead treats everyone with kindness; even when that servant is treated unkindly. Instead of harboring resentment toward someone who has been unkind, the contrasting response is to teach the truth of God’s word. That teaching would include truth about unconditional love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Application- I am not serving the Lord whenever I am unkind to anyone. Servanthood and a lack of kindness are mutually exclusive. In spite of the actions of others; I am called to serve them by teaching them the Word of God.

Prayer- Abba, please give me a servant’s heart of kindness as I boldly declare your truth. May I never use your Word as a weapon to attack and pierce, but always as a scalpel to heal. Thank you for using the scalpel of your Word to bring healing to my heart.

Hesed: God’s Unfailing Love

Scripture- Psalm 119:76 May your unfailing love (hesed) be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

Observations- God love is unfailing. The unfailing nature of God’s love is a trustworthy source of comfort. God’s promise is based on His unfailing love. The psalmist is willing to serve because of his trust in the unfailing love of God.

Application- When much of what I have looked to for comfort is crumbling around me, the truest source of comfort comes into clear focus. God’s hesed… His unfailing love… is the most dependable source of comfort. People can fail me. Economies certainly can fail me. Organizations can fail me. My own strength can fail me. But God’s love can’t fail me because, by definition, it is unfailing. A love that fails is not God’s love… it is a flawed substitute.

Prayer- Abba, I depend on your love for comfort because it is hesed… it is unfailing.

Where the Son of God Belonged

Scripture- Matthew 27:40 “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Com down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”

Observations- The people believed Jesus claimed He could destroy and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem all by Himself. The people believed that Jesus could not even save Himself. The people believed that a clear demonstration of Jesus being the Son of God would be to come down from the cross; but on the cross the Son of God was just where He belonged.

Application- Our sinful perspective as humans is distorted. We are focused on the material rather than the spiritual. We think that power is displayed in the relief of suffering, rather than the power displayed in perseverance through suffering. We think of Jesus as a victim rather than as a victor. We think God’s power should be seen in delivering Jesus from the cross, rather than the working of God’s powerful plan through the cross. We think somehow that Jesus on the cross was a failure and that the cross was certainly no place for the Son of God to be. But the Son of God is also a Savior; so giving His life on the cross was just where the Son of God belonged.

Prayer- Abba, please change my perspective to match yours. Show your power through difficulty, not just by sparing me from it. Give me a heart that is willing to stay just where I belong.