Seeing the Kingdom

The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"

He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom.

You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight;

it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart

for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is

no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears.

That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people 

toward receptive insight. In their present state they can 

stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue

in the face and not get it."

--

Matthew 13:10-14

The kingdom of God is here. 

It is all around us.

We are able to walk and live and share it, now.

Jesus came to show us how to live in it.

He came to show us how to live.

I want to have a ready heart,

Open and receptive to insight and understanding.

I want to have my thinking changed (Romans 12:2), 

So that I am kingdom minded as I go through my day.

A farmer planted seed. 

As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, 

and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; 

it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, 

so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. 

Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, 

it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth,

and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

"Are you listening to this? Really listening?" 

 --

Matthew 13:3-9

May my heart by the good earth.

May I have God-blessed eyes – eyes that see!

May I have God-blessed ears – ears that hear!

Teach me about your kingdom, Lord!

Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace

Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: 

"Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.

You've concealed your ways from sophisticates

and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly

to ordinary people. Yes, Father,

that's the way you like to work."

--

Matthew 11:25-26

Just ordinary people.

That's who God reveals His ways to.

He likes to work that way.

So, why do I try to be more than I am?

Why would I want to be above others, to hold myself apart and aloof?

Why would I want to pretend to have no problems, no issues, no weaknesses?

I'm just ordinary. 

And that's good enough for God.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?

Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life.

I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

--

Matthew 11:28-30

I want to learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

Not rigid, not forced, not contrived.

God learned, free and light.

Life giving and restful.

Keeping company with Jesus, walking and working with Him.

Show me how to live this way, Lord. 

I want to learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

He holds my life in His hands

"Don't be bluffed into silence 

by the threats of bullies. 

There's nothing they can do 

to your soul, your core being. 

Save your fear for God 

who holds your entire life —

body and soul — in His hands."

--

Matthew 10:28

Coldly it comes and grips me.

It silences me as I draw in and begin to fret.

Rehearsing all that could happen, might happen.

My bullies may not be in the form of people threatening to harm me physically.

But in my mind, as that cold fear grips me, my bullies are just as real as any with blood coursing through their veins.

In the midst of the fear I am being lied to.

Convinced that my bullies have power over me.

Power to do harm. To hurt me. To end my life.

A big fat bluff.

That's all that is.

They have no power over me.

They do not determine the length of my life or the destiny of my soul.

When I get really afraid 

I come to you in trust. 

I'm proud to praise God; 

fearless now, I trust in God. 

What can mere mortals do?

 --

Psalm 56:3-4

Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
      from the wide open spaces, he answered.
   God's now at my side and I'm not afraid;
      who would dare lay a hand on me?
   God's my strong champion;
      I flick off my enemies like flies.
   Far better to take refuge in God
      than trust in people;
   Far better to take refuge in God
      than trust in celebrities. 

I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
      when God grabbed and held me.
   God's my strength, he's also my song,
      and now he's my salvation.  

I didn't die. I lived!
      And now I'm telling the world what God did.
   God tested me, he pushed me hard,
      but he didn't hand me over to Death.

Thank you for responding to me;
      you've truly become my salvation!

 --

Verses above from Psalm 118   

My life is in God's hands.

He controls the destiny of my life and my soul.

Regardless of what happens I know that He is in control. (Lamentations 3:37)

I can rest in Him and trust Him.

"But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,
   the woman who sticks with God.
They're like trees replanted in Eden,
   putting down roots near the rivers—
Never a worry through the hottest of summers,
   never dropping a leaf,
Serene and calm through droughts,
   bearing fresh fruit every season."

 --

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Tend to Your Knitting

"As I live and breathe," God says,
      "every knee will bow before me;
   Every tongue will tell the honest truth
      that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full 

just taking care of your own life before God. 

Romans 14:12

I'm having one of those Quiet Times this morning.

It started out when I discovered a chapter or two in Romans that I had not yet read in The Message.

As I read Paul's words in this fresh way, I immediately saw how they related to something going on in the life of a dear friend of mine.

I quickly found myself wanting to type out several verses and zip them off to some people that I thought could learn a thing or two from the passage I was reading. 

I practically giggled with glee at the thought of proudly proclaiming these verses to those I think need them and seeing them crumble under the Truth.

Ack!

That's when I could almost feel a tap-tap-tap on my shoulder.

A feeling of unease and realization crept in to my belly. 

Once again, I saw that these verses are for me. 

I need to read them.

I need to learn from them.

I need to incorporate them into my life.

Gulp!

Here are some of the verses I was reading:

Welcome with open arms fellow believers 

who don't see things the way you do.

And don't jump all over them 

every time they do or say something 

you don't agree with—

even when it seems that they are 

strong on opinions but weak in the faith department.

Remember, they have their own history 

to deal with. Treat them gently. 

Romans 14:1

None of us are permitted to insist on our own way 

in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—

all the way from life to death 

and everything in between—not each other.

That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again:

 so that he could be our Master across the entire range 

of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. 

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother?

And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister?

I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse.

Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side

in the place of judgment, facing God.

Your critical and condescending ways 

aren't going to improve your position there one bit.

 Romans 14:7-12

Forget about deciding what's right for each other.

Here's what you need to be concerned about:

that you don't get in the way of someone else,

making life more difficult than it already is. 

Romans 14:13

 

So let's agree to use all our energy

in getting along with each other.

Help others with encouraging words;

don't drag them down by finding fault. 

Romans 14:19

Cultivate your own relationship with God,

but don't impose it on others.

You're fortunate if your behavior and

your belief are coherent.

Romans 14:22

Life can be pretty hard sometimes.

We are all fallible.

We are all loved by God.

And we all need Jesus.

I want to be stepping in the direction of grace.

I want to offer gentle words of encouragement, instead of harsh words of criticism.

It is so easy to see the fault of someone else. 

It is so easy to be offended.

It is so easy to cross to the other side of the road and just keep on walking.

It is so easy to read some Bible verses and think that they apply to someone else.

Oh, Father, please, help me to stop taking the easy way. 

Just as You have been so gentle and patient 

and full of grace with me, 

help me to be the same 

to those You have placed in my life.

Quotes from "Dancing With my Father" by Sally Clarkson

"The key is, when our heart is troubled we need to believe in God. Maintaining a moment by moment walk in the power of the Holy Spirit means that we continually practice trusting in God, believing in His reality, living in the confidence that He will work all things together for our good."

"Belief is the antidote for a troubled heart: believing in God, believing that He is with us, believing that He is good, believing that He can take care of our trouble, believing in His presence with us every minute, and not looking to the limitations of our circumstances!"

"Walking in joy, by the resources of the Holy Spirit who abides in me, is simply believing in Him, turning our eyes to Him, leaning on Him. Simple faith."

Be still

I find myself wanting to sit in the sand.

Looking out at the endless waves.

No sound but the waves crashing on the beach...

The birds crying in the sky.

I want to breathe deep. 

To let my breath carry my thoughts up high.

To lift my hands to the One who knows all.

I feel the weight of burdens that are not mine, but carry because I can....

To help lighten the load, to listen, to intercede.

I long to "be still and know".

Because He is. 

And I am not.

Everything You're to Be

"Our God gives you everything you need, 
makes you everything you're to be." 

2 Thessalonians 1:2

You know, I didn't even realize what I was doing when I imported the photo above.

You see, my daughter, Sophie, took that picture...

With her first camera.

And she took that picture to help her little sister enter a contest.

I think it's really good.

And so, because it is sitting in my iPhoto, I sniped it.

Smile.

But as I typed out the verse above, I realized that Sophie's picture is just the right one to go with that verse.

Everything a maple tree needs to be a maple tree (well, except for the soil, sun and water... which God provides, too...) is in one of those seeds.

God makes sure that it has all it needs to become a tree.

When Paul wrote the verse above, he was encouraging the Thessalonians that God would give them everything they needed to be what He made them to be.

And I believe that promise is for you and me, too.

And Sophie.

And all our kids.

What a awesome thing to pray for our kids, our husbands, our friends, our moms and dads... for anyone!

For ourselves.

That "our God will make you fit for what He's called you to be, pray that He'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with His own energy so that it all amounts to something." (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

It comes from Him.

The call.

The "stuff" we need.

The energy.

He even allows the troubles that make us fit for The Kingdom. (see 2 Thessalonians 1:5.)

"If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving Himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving Himself freely."

2 Thessalonians 1:12

When I give up my life, to Him, to do what He wants me to do...

He gives me all that I need...

He makes me everything I am to be....

He makes me fit for my calling....

He gives me the energy....

And makes my feeble efforts into something that matters...

That is a life that honors the name of Jesus. 

He has given Himself freely to me.

I am giving myself freely to Him?