Good morning from my favorite little coffee shop!
My reading and pondering this week showed me a pattern in Scripture that I knew about but just hadn't seen so clearly. And then, "by chance" I saw this post from a friend online:
The pattern is this: God declares some kind of promise, He allows a season of preparation, and then in due time, He yields proof of His faithfulness.
Where do we see this pattern in Scripture? Many places -- but just to name a few...
Noah was told to build a boat to save his household from an impending flood that God was bringing because humanity had been so corrupted that God was basically using Noah to hit "Edit, Undo" and start over. The promise is given in Genesis 6 along with His reasoning:
13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,[c] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.[d] Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
I bet you know this story: people think Noah is crazy and that God is far too loving to destroy His own creation. Nonetheless, Noah believed God and obeyed... and the rains came down and the floods came up and God's promise was fulfilled.
Or how about our good friend Abraham? (Remember this?) He has a few examples in his life journey of God making promises. The very fact that he became a father was the result of a promise that he and Sarah prayed for and then prepared for over the span of several decades before Isaac was finally born. And then God tested Abraham's heart with the challenge to sacrifice Isaac, only to relent when He saw Abraham's obedience and give way to the abundance He originally promised.
Third: the story of Ruth and Boaz. I was asked this week in bible study, "Who is your Bible crush?" as a ice-breaker question. The whole room of grown women giggled like middle school girls at the idea of crushing on a Bible character and then, with great confidence and a very red face, I said, "BOAZ! What a stud!" More giggling -- no shame. Read the story, the dude's a champ. He followed the same pattern even though it's a bit more difficult to pin-point exactly where or how God "spoke" a promise. He used Naomi (Ruth's mother-in-law) to encourage Ruth to go to a field to find favor as a worker, and He used Ruth's loyalty to Naomi and boldness to put Boaz in her physical proximity. And then there's that moment on the threshing floor where a pretty and perfumed Ruth lays down at Boaz's feet and startles him. That moment kicks Boaz into full-on pursuit of her, even though she and Naomi would've been financially "risky" because both were widows. His method of preparation is admirable -- he wasted no time, but showed kindness and honor every step of the way. (That's why he's my bible crush!) Somewhere in there, they both knew: this is it. And unbeknownst to them, what looked like a love story with political and familial implications became the next link in the chain of Jesus' lineage. They never got to fully see the fruit of their lives, but we couldn't tell the story of Jesus without Ruth.
But perhaps the greatest story ever is yet to be fully told. And we're right in the middle of it. Like Ruth and Boaz, we may not see the last chapter during our years on earth, but if we know Jesus and His Spirit lives in our hearts, we will see Him face-to-face.
Each of us is Ruth in our own ways. This life has brokenness, death, unexpected changes, and a lot of hardship. It seems most of us eventually reach a point of realizing we simply cannot save ourselves from wickedness or pain and worst of all, we often manufacture it in our own hearts and we're powerless to stop it. But God -- God knew. From Genesis chapter 3 and onward, God makes a way for our shame and sin and suffering to be covered and healed. He has promised us a life after this one with eternal joy, no suffering, and perfect peace in His presence in Heaven. But today is not that day. One day, He will wipe away every tear, but today He comforts us and urges us to gather as many as we can and usher them closer to the One who comforts our hearts in preparation for Heaven.
We have His promise, but are without full and obvious proof... so our job is to prepare.
Is your soul ready to join with the chorus of angels and other followers of Jesus and worshipers of God in a holy choir of praise? Are you ready to sing and worship and dance forever with the King of the universe? What is the greatest hope of your heart? Is it something this world can satisfy, or, if you're honest, is that "thing" probably just as empty as the last great "thing" you chased? (Hint: humans are inclined to chase happiness in things that were never meant to make us happy.) Or do you crave the total peace and joy and satisfaction of being fully yourself in the company of the greatest source of the maker of your soul? Last week, we played this song in church and I told a friend, "This song makes my heart thirsty for Heaven. I can't wait to belt this one next to Jesus." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7MR77AVBOs) Take a listen and crank it up -- you won't regret it.
But practically speaking, there's a point of application I don't want to breeze past. Sometimes God puts a dream in our hearts or a word of knowledge in our minds much like these promises. Something in the depth of our being just knows what God may want as an outcome but as far as today is concerned, the dream may be all you've got. Maybe it's a career direction, a relationship, the purchase of a house or property, or a financial break-through. Maybe it's healing of an illness or repair in a family matter that seems "too far gone" to even bother investing in... And yet, you know way down deep, this isn't the end of the story even though it looks impossible. What then?
How do we reconcile what our hearts believe to be true when logic and reasoning is swimming in cynicism? I've wrestled with this for years, but "coincidentally" came upon this insight this week from Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest devotional (full devotional here):
Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and…every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).
We can't "think through" problems or situations where we're waiting on God. If we could, we wouldn't actually need His power because we would've just proved our minds to be more powerful than God Himself. That's a scary thought. The advice here is to obey what you already know and trust that God will help you see. Let's remember, impossible is where God often starts. He spoke and the entire universe became a reality. Jesus raised people from the dead and then died and conquered death itself in entirety. Impossible is nothing to Him. Don't try to understand it -- it will make your head hurt because you're not meant to understand it. Chambers advice is to live like it's true.
So here we are, preparing for God's proof and providence. But there's one more "p" word in that quote from the beginning: patience.
This is probably the hardest one. It's hard to be patient when we don't know an outcome. No one enjoys the process of waiting for lab results to come back or anticipating the invoice after a big project or purchase. But I honestly think sometimes it's harder to wait when you DO know the answer. Why? Because seeing the hope of resolution is nice for a few minutes... but we just can't make the clock go faster! Think about it: if someone told you that their wallet held some undeclared amount of money that would be all yours if you just wait, it would be difficult to have self-control. But if they told you it was $1 million and you could have it Tuesday but it was Wednesday, is this not going to feel like the longest week of your life?! Elizabeth Elliot wisely said once, "The burden of knowing is often heavier than the burden of curiosity." It's true -- you can't un-know something, especially when it's life-changing. So it makes sense that our hearts burn for Heaven because we know in the depth of our being that peace and fullness and joy are on their way... but not yet. So we are tasked with exercising patience.
So, friends, if there's something you know you're promised but you're waiting on proof, I join you in patiently preparing for His providence. He is a good Father, full of perfect justice and love. I find comfort in knowing that even though I feel the very real tension of this in-between season, I also serve a God who loves me more than I can even imagine and that no matter what happens on this side of Heaven, I am promised eternity with Him. And that's enough to calm my heart. He is good and so, so faithful. I hope you know this truth, too.
My reading and pondering this week showed me a pattern in Scripture that I knew about but just hadn't seen so clearly. And then, "by chance" I saw this post from a friend online:
When God gives you a word, there is always a season of preparation before release. Be patient. Be prepared!!!!
Prophetess Yolanda Holmes
The pattern is this: God declares some kind of promise, He allows a season of preparation, and then in due time, He yields proof of His faithfulness.
Where do we see this pattern in Scripture? Many places -- but just to name a few...
Noah was told to build a boat to save his household from an impending flood that God was bringing because humanity had been so corrupted that God was basically using Noah to hit "Edit, Undo" and start over. The promise is given in Genesis 6 along with His reasoning:
13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,[c] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.[d] Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
I bet you know this story: people think Noah is crazy and that God is far too loving to destroy His own creation. Nonetheless, Noah believed God and obeyed... and the rains came down and the floods came up and God's promise was fulfilled.
Or how about our good friend Abraham? (Remember this?) He has a few examples in his life journey of God making promises. The very fact that he became a father was the result of a promise that he and Sarah prayed for and then prepared for over the span of several decades before Isaac was finally born. And then God tested Abraham's heart with the challenge to sacrifice Isaac, only to relent when He saw Abraham's obedience and give way to the abundance He originally promised.
Third: the story of Ruth and Boaz. I was asked this week in bible study, "Who is your Bible crush?" as a ice-breaker question. The whole room of grown women giggled like middle school girls at the idea of crushing on a Bible character and then, with great confidence and a very red face, I said, "BOAZ! What a stud!" More giggling -- no shame. Read the story, the dude's a champ. He followed the same pattern even though it's a bit more difficult to pin-point exactly where or how God "spoke" a promise. He used Naomi (Ruth's mother-in-law) to encourage Ruth to go to a field to find favor as a worker, and He used Ruth's loyalty to Naomi and boldness to put Boaz in her physical proximity. And then there's that moment on the threshing floor where a pretty and perfumed Ruth lays down at Boaz's feet and startles him. That moment kicks Boaz into full-on pursuit of her, even though she and Naomi would've been financially "risky" because both were widows. His method of preparation is admirable -- he wasted no time, but showed kindness and honor every step of the way. (That's why he's my bible crush!) Somewhere in there, they both knew: this is it. And unbeknownst to them, what looked like a love story with political and familial implications became the next link in the chain of Jesus' lineage. They never got to fully see the fruit of their lives, but we couldn't tell the story of Jesus without Ruth.
But perhaps the greatest story ever is yet to be fully told. And we're right in the middle of it. Like Ruth and Boaz, we may not see the last chapter during our years on earth, but if we know Jesus and His Spirit lives in our hearts, we will see Him face-to-face.
Each of us is Ruth in our own ways. This life has brokenness, death, unexpected changes, and a lot of hardship. It seems most of us eventually reach a point of realizing we simply cannot save ourselves from wickedness or pain and worst of all, we often manufacture it in our own hearts and we're powerless to stop it. But God -- God knew. From Genesis chapter 3 and onward, God makes a way for our shame and sin and suffering to be covered and healed. He has promised us a life after this one with eternal joy, no suffering, and perfect peace in His presence in Heaven. But today is not that day. One day, He will wipe away every tear, but today He comforts us and urges us to gather as many as we can and usher them closer to the One who comforts our hearts in preparation for Heaven.
We have His promise, but are without full and obvious proof... so our job is to prepare.
Is your soul ready to join with the chorus of angels and other followers of Jesus and worshipers of God in a holy choir of praise? Are you ready to sing and worship and dance forever with the King of the universe? What is the greatest hope of your heart? Is it something this world can satisfy, or, if you're honest, is that "thing" probably just as empty as the last great "thing" you chased? (Hint: humans are inclined to chase happiness in things that were never meant to make us happy.) Or do you crave the total peace and joy and satisfaction of being fully yourself in the company of the greatest source of the maker of your soul? Last week, we played this song in church and I told a friend, "This song makes my heart thirsty for Heaven. I can't wait to belt this one next to Jesus." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7MR77AVBOs) Take a listen and crank it up -- you won't regret it.
But practically speaking, there's a point of application I don't want to breeze past. Sometimes God puts a dream in our hearts or a word of knowledge in our minds much like these promises. Something in the depth of our being just knows what God may want as an outcome but as far as today is concerned, the dream may be all you've got. Maybe it's a career direction, a relationship, the purchase of a house or property, or a financial break-through. Maybe it's healing of an illness or repair in a family matter that seems "too far gone" to even bother investing in... And yet, you know way down deep, this isn't the end of the story even though it looks impossible. What then?
How do we reconcile what our hearts believe to be true when logic and reasoning is swimming in cynicism? I've wrestled with this for years, but "coincidentally" came upon this insight this week from Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest devotional (full devotional here):
Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and…every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).
We can't "think through" problems or situations where we're waiting on God. If we could, we wouldn't actually need His power because we would've just proved our minds to be more powerful than God Himself. That's a scary thought. The advice here is to obey what you already know and trust that God will help you see. Let's remember, impossible is where God often starts. He spoke and the entire universe became a reality. Jesus raised people from the dead and then died and conquered death itself in entirety. Impossible is nothing to Him. Don't try to understand it -- it will make your head hurt because you're not meant to understand it. Chambers advice is to live like it's true.
So here we are, preparing for God's proof and providence. But there's one more "p" word in that quote from the beginning: patience.
This is probably the hardest one. It's hard to be patient when we don't know an outcome. No one enjoys the process of waiting for lab results to come back or anticipating the invoice after a big project or purchase. But I honestly think sometimes it's harder to wait when you DO know the answer. Why? Because seeing the hope of resolution is nice for a few minutes... but we just can't make the clock go faster! Think about it: if someone told you that their wallet held some undeclared amount of money that would be all yours if you just wait, it would be difficult to have self-control. But if they told you it was $1 million and you could have it Tuesday but it was Wednesday, is this not going to feel like the longest week of your life?! Elizabeth Elliot wisely said once, "The burden of knowing is often heavier than the burden of curiosity." It's true -- you can't un-know something, especially when it's life-changing. So it makes sense that our hearts burn for Heaven because we know in the depth of our being that peace and fullness and joy are on their way... but not yet. So we are tasked with exercising patience.
So, friends, if there's something you know you're promised but you're waiting on proof, I join you in patiently preparing for His providence. He is a good Father, full of perfect justice and love. I find comfort in knowing that even though I feel the very real tension of this in-between season, I also serve a God who loves me more than I can even imagine and that no matter what happens on this side of Heaven, I am promised eternity with Him. And that's enough to calm my heart. He is good and so, so faithful. I hope you know this truth, too.
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