Worship and Circumstances

I am currently in an interesting season of my life.

Most people my age are getting married, having children and pursuing their masters and doctorate degrees. I graduated college, then moved back home to save money while I applied for jobs.

I accepted a job two months after graduation, but it turned out to be quite a different opportunity than I expected. Adding to this frustration is over an hour commute each way in Austin traffic every day.

I have struggled with several things the devil has told me during this season of my life:

• Why do you need a job? You don't have anything to save for anyways. 
• Why are you trying so hard to be successful? You won't amount to anything anyways.
• Why are you dreaming about having a relationship some day? It will never happen. You're going to be single forever.

Then as I was studying in preparation to lead my small group, God revealed to me the chains of faithlessness and lack of joy that had me bound. 

You see, Matthew 14:22-33 talks about Peter's faith:

• He saw the Lord walking on water, and naturally thought something like that could never be possible and believed it was a ghost.
• Once Jesus identified Himself, Peter still didn't believe and demanded Jesus allow him to walk on the water with Him. 
• Jesus allowed Peter to walk alongside Him on the water.
• Peter became fearful when the wind and waves started again and began to doubt God's sovereignty. 
• Jesus asked why he doubted, but didn't punish Peter.; instead, He got into Peter's boat with him and the storm stopped. 
• Then all of those in the boat believed that He was the Son of God after the storm stopped when Jesus got into the boat. 

If I really believe that God reigns over everything and everyone, why do I act like Peter?

• Why do I believe the devil's lies that I am in a rotten place in my life and should have a bad attitude about it? 

Here are a few ways that God has shown me to strengthen my faith and help my unbelief.

• God's ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30, 2 Samuel 22:31) and He had great plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). 

• Those plans cannot be fully understood in your life unless a) you trust in Him with ALL your heart and b) in all your ways acknowledge that Him and His place in your life (Proverbs 3:5-6).  

• You see, God can be establishing your path for you, but you will never understand how He is using you until you fully relinquish your life and trust to Him. You will see stages in your life as a burden if you don't view them as the Lord shaping you and using you where you are.

• We are all clay, being molded to Jesus' image (Jeremiah 18). Once we are molded, we must be refined by the fire that is God Almighty (1 Peter 1:7). This molding and refining cannot happen unless we are in His presence. 

• When we look at the Bible, we do not see God taking people out of their struggles, we see Him helping them through it; we often forget this part of the stories.

• He took the Israelites out of bondage, but didn't drop them into the Promised Land. They had to wander through the wilderness for forty years, but He provided for their every need: food, shelter, water, leadership and protection from the enemies. 

• He allowed the devil to tempt Job by taking away all of his worldly possessions (can you even imagine that? Your wealth, family, and your job/animals). While Job mourned these losses and was not able to understand, he never wavered in his faithfulness to God. Through this book, we find out who God is- He is Godself and understands things we are never to understand. Suffering does not happen because of a sinful act, but rather because of God's good and perfect master plan.

Ultimately, if our joy comes from our circumstances, we will always be let down. 

• I personally found that my joy came from being successful in college, having great friends and free time. 

• Once I graduated and no longer had the security of knowing I could do well in classes, friends living in the same room as me and basically no free time, I became bitter.

• God has begun to show me that my joy did not come from Him, but rather from the things around me. Think about this thought from Halim Suh at the Austin Stone: 
• What you worship is the object of all your hopes and dreams.
• He brought up a great point: If your family was suddenly taken from you, would you have joy? If you lost your job, would you still find joy? 

In conclusion, I am slowly realizing what I am worshipping alongside God. Spoiler: it is definitely security, success, and time to relax.

• Worshipping God doesn't work that way. God demands your entire trust and hope to be in Him. That is ultimately what the first of the Ten Commandments says. 

• With this realization, I am choosing to place my worship and trust in Him, rather than in earthly possessions that will fade. 

I am choosing joy in this season of my life rather than bitterness, because life is short and I will constantly be striving for things I can never achieve.

-K

Finding Peace in the Norm

Something I have been struggling with recently is finding peace.

You see, when college students "rest", it is to watch a movie or scroll through Facebook for 10 minutes.

Projects, quizzes, homework, and tests all pile up causing constant anxiety and stimulation-and the thought of peace and rest is the furthest thing from my mind.

Especially reading my Bible or taking a break to just sit in God's presence and listen?

That's unheard of...I don't have time. Really? God had time to rest when creating the world. I can't find 5 minutes to sit in His presence?

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. -Colossians 3:15 (NASB)

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. -Proverbs 12:20 (ESV).

So, when you take a minute and let Christ rule your heart, you become:

• Part of His body (which he commands)
• Thankful for Him
• Joyful. Seriously, when does a break and sleep not rejuvenate you?

I challenge you, take a break from all of the stuff surrounding you, focus on God and give up your worries. He's got this.


-K

New Mercies

While Jeremiah is recounting Israel's affliction and feeling that the Lord has forsaken them, he says this:

"This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
26 It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord."

-Lamentations 3:21-26 (NASB)

No matter what we are going through, no matter how far away God seems or how crazy His plans seem, the Lord is good to those who wait for Him. How amazing and comforting is that? This semester, I have found comfort in the fact that the Lord's love constantly surrounds me and that His mercies are new every day, no matter what yesterday looked like.

In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, for the Lord has overcome the world. -John 16:33

-K

Open The Eyes Of Your Heart

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance of the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places.

While this was originally Paul's prayer to the Church at Ephesus (Ephesians 1:18-20), it is my prayer for myself and for anyone reading this. This passage is just one example of many in the New Testament that describe how we can pray for one another.

This morning, I was reminded of just how short life is when a young woman who started college with me finished her battle with Leukemia. So, through the hurt we face in this world, I urge you to allow God to open the eyes of your heart so that you can see Him. Life is too short to live in the now; we must focus on forever with Him. Forever starts when you accept Christ- allow your heart to be open to see the hope that God's calling provides. Once we see this hope, we are able to see the riches His love provides and His amazing power.

Let His love mold and shape you so that you are truly His handiwork and used for His glory. Life is too short to live otherwise.

How To Treat Others

Our world today seems to teach us that if we are Christians, we must hate everyone who does not do as the Bible instructs.

This view is ironic, because Christians are to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44); our enemies would be anyone who we hate, right?

2 Thessalonians 3:14,15 (NASB): "If anyone does not obey our instruction in their letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him....Yet, do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

According to this passage, Christians are to not be best friends with those who are not Christ followers, but we are not to treat them as our enemies. That, I believe, is where the Christians are getting a negative reputation. We have accepted the world's view that if we do not agree with someone's choices, we must speak out negatively against them and then not associate with them at all.

We are to love everyone, especially our enemies and even more so those we do not agree with.

-K

Doubting Peter, 2 Blind Guys, and Jesus' Passion Predictions

Today in New Testament Literature and Life, my professor had some great points about the text of Mark 8:22-10:52 and I wanted to share them, along with my thoughts. If you are not familiar with these passages, I will highlight them below.

Mark 8:22-26 -Jesus healing a blind man at Bethsaida.

Jesus found a blind man, spit on his eyes and asked "Do you see anything?"The man saw what he described as trees walking around, because he could not see clearly. Jesus then laid His hands on the man's eyes again and he began to see everything clearly.

Mark 8:27-31- Peter confesses Jesus as Christ.

Jesus and the disciples were on the way to Caesarea Phillippi (pictured below). On the way, He asked them who people say that He is. The disciples answered "John the Baptist; and others say Elijah, but others one of the prophets." Then Jesus asked, "But who do you say that I am". Peter then answered "You are the Christ".

Mark 8:31-33: First Passion Prediction.

Directly after this, Jesus began teaching about how he must suffer and die, then be raised after three days. Peter then began to rebuke Him for saying this (remember just a few short verses ago, he had proclaimed that Jesus was Christ, and thus knew what He was doing). Jesus responded to Peter saying, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind of God's interests, but man's."

Mark 9:30-32- Second Passion Prediction.

Jesus again began teaching his disciples that once again he would be killed and raised after three days; yet the disciples, of all people, still did not understand. 

Mark 10:32-45 Third Passion Prediction.

Jesus began to tell the disciples that they were going to Jerusalem so that Jesus could be condemned and handed over to the Gentiles to be killed and He would rise in three days. James and John responded to this by asking if they could be at Jesus' right and left hand in Heaven; Jesus answered by telling them first that they do not know that they are asking, then telling them that they must come as servants if they want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Mark 10:46-52: Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho and found a blind man named Bartimaeus sitting by the road. The first thing I noticed is that Bartimaeus called Jesus "Son of David", meaning that He recognized that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy. Secondly, even though Bartimaeus was blind, he recognized Jesus. He begged Jesus to have mercy on Him, so the disciples called him to Jesus and Bartimaeus asked Jesus to grant him his sight. Jesus responded, "Your faith has made you well." Then, he immediately regained his sight and began following Jesus. 

Now that we have read the highlights of these passages, you can begin to understand how they fit together. My professor said that the blind man at Bethsaida did not see the full picture right away; in the same way, Peter confessed that Jesus was Lord, but still did not understand that Jesus was going to be crucified until after Jesus told him three times! Then, Bartimaeus represents Peter at the end of the passage, by proclaiming that he knows who Jesus is and has the faith to believe that Jesus can heal him, or raise Himself up in three days. 

I completely agree with my professor's view, but I also began to think about a different interpretation while studying this passage. The blind man at the beginning of the passage did not have the faith and trust necessary to believe that Jesus could heal him at first, and therefore he did not get to see the whole picture, or understand the truth of the Bible. Then, when Jesus begins to reveal Himself, if you have faith that Jesus is who He says He is, your faith will open your eyes to great things- both in the Bible and in your every day life. 

-K

This Book Contains

The mind of God,
The state of man,
The way of salvation,
The doom of sinners,
And the happiness of believers.

Read it to be wise,
Believe it to be safe,
Practice it to be holy,

It contains light to direct you,
Food to support you,
Comfort to cheer you.

It is a traveler's map,
The pilgrim's staff,
The pilot's compass,
The soldier's sword,
And the Christian's charter.

Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully.
It is a mine of wealth,
A paradise of glory,
And a river of pleasure.

It involves the highest responsibility,
Rewards the greatest labor,
And condemns all who
Trifle with its Holy contents.

-Anonymous