Relentless Pursuit

Surely your goodness and unfailing love 

will pursue me all the days of my life.

 Psalm 23:6

God is always pursuing us.  His gentle, unfailing love is always there encouraging us to go in the right direction. No matter how many mistakes or wrong turns we make, he continues to follow us, gently encouraging us back to the right path.  He never gives up on us. All the days of our lives his goodness and unfailing love will pursue us as we grow into his likeness.

Thank you for your unfailing, loving pursuit of us, Lord.  May we, sooner rather than later, respond to that still small voice behind us saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

Your own ears will hear him.

 Right behind you a voice will say,

 “This is the way you should go.”

 Is. 30.21

And I am certain that God,

 who began the good work within you, 

will continue his work 

until it is finally finished

 on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 

Phil. 1:6

Faith

The only thing that counts is faith 

expressing itself through love.

 Gal. 5:6 (NIV)

Since everything we need is in Jesus, our faith is a very valuable commodity.  Peter tells us that our faith is far more precious than gold. (1Peter 1:7).  Gold can buy some of the riches of this life, but, even though it is a precious metal, it will melt and perish, but faith is indestructible and is the gateway into the vast, limitless expanse of God's riches.  

Our faith is so valuable because it enables us to reach out to access all that God has available for us. When, through our faith, we tap into the greatness of God's love we become vessels of that love.  We are given the gifts of love that we can then give away to others. This is God's plan and desire for us.

Even though we may think our faith is small, Jesus told us that even the tiniest amount of faith is powerful because it puts us in touch with all the power of God.  Let us reach out with what little faith we have and tap into the vast unlimited resources of our glorious God.

A New Way

The path through Canyon de Chelly, AZ with Spider Rock 

Jesus has opened a new and living way for us 

to go through the curtain.

(The curtain is his own body.)

Hebrews 10:20 (GW)

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.

 The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

Jesus came not just to help us, to give us a better life here, he came to give us a whole new way of living, not the old way of rules, self improvement, trying harder, of condemnation and guilt but the new way of receiving, believing, trusting and accepting all that he has done for us. Jesus paved the way by giving his own life.  Now the way has been opened and we have been completely set free to walk into this new way, the way of the spirit.

It is called the new way for a reason. We can't make the mistake of trying to mix the old ways with the new.  Remember Jesus told his followers that if you put new wine in old wine skins the old skins will not be able to contain the new wine and they will burst. (Mt. 9:17) If you try to put the new way into the old structure it will break down and we will be left off balance and unsatisfied.

So what does that mean for us?  It means that we have to let go of the old ways, the old habits, the old coping mechanisms, of judging ourselves and condemning others and enter into the new way of focusing on Christ allowing the new life of his spirit to fill us. This new life is so contrary to our own nature, but when we realize by faith that our old nature died with him and we have been risen to this new life we can take our eyes off ourselves and concentrate on Jesus and his spirit. Then the evidence of that new life begins to spring up in us. He is sufficient for all we need for the new life in the spirit. He supplies the love, the joy, the peace and the healing.

                      But now we have been released from the law,

 for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power.

 Now we can serve God, 

not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, 

but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

 Romans 7:6 (NLT)

If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious,

 how much more glorious is the new way, 

which makes us right with God!

 2 Cor. 3:9 (NLT)

Companionship

My sister Barbara enjoying the dance.

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family

 by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. 

This is what he wanted to do,

 and it gave him great pleasure.

 Eph. 1:5 (NLT)

God takes great pleasure in his children.  Whether we love to dance or cook or play sports he loves to join with us in all we enjoy.  He came to give us an abundant life full of beauty and joy. Even in the struggles and the hardships, he is there to support us and his presence can beautify even the most unlovely and unpleasant situations.  

God went to a lot of trouble to make a way for us to be close to him.  The process he had to go through of being born as a human baby, living on this troubled planet among troubled people, and finally dying at the hands of sinful men was not an easy one.  In fact, his death was the most excruciating and painful that any person has ever suffered.  And yet, he was not only willing, but eager to go through all of that and for what?  - so that we, his precious creation, could come back to him and live close to him.  He simply wanted to be with us, to enjoy our company and make us part of his family and he was willing to pay any price to make that happen.

Lord, thank you for going through so much so that we could be restored to companionship with you. Thank you for the joy we experience as we enjoy life together.

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;

 He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.

 Ps. 149:4 (NASV)

Compassionate

The LORD is like a father to his children, 

tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 

Psalm 103:13 (NLT) 

The scripture tells us that God revealed his character to Moses.  And what was the defining characteristic that God revealed about himself? - his unending compassion and mercy.

To truly understand and know God we must understand and know him as he truly is.  If we see him as a judgmental and critical God we will never be drawn toward him.  But, if we come to see him as he has revealed himself to be - our loving father, full of compassion, then we will be irresistibly drawn to him to receive all that he has for us. 

Compassion is defined as: Having a feeling of strong affection for someone. The word has a special focus on mercy toward a person in difficult circumstances and is characterized by unconditional love. To come to understand and feel that God has a strong feeling of affection for you is a life changing experience.  All of a sudden you are no longer alone.  You know someone truly cares about you. 

We can trust a God who cares for us that much.  We don't have a thing to fear. We can freely draw near to him with our whole heart to receive that love, affection, mercy and companionship that we need.  

Open our eyes and hearts, Lord, to see and understand you as you truly are - our loving, compassionate father. 

He revealed his character to Moses.

The LORD is compassionate and merciful,

 slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 

Psalm 103:7-8 (NLT) 

We know how much God loves us, 

and we have put our trust in his love. 

Such love has no fear, 

because perfect love expels all fear. 

1 John 4:16,18 (NLT) 

Consistently Faithful

Jesus Christ is the same 

yesterday, today and forever. 

Heb. 13.8

No matter what we do, God is always moving towards us in love. He always wants the best for us and is sad when we go our own way, but he never abandons us. He just keeps moving towards us in love.

Here is a quote from Brennan Strawn who for twenty years tried to live life his own way resulting in addiction and depression:

In that moment I saw my heart the way God sees my heart.  I saw how much he was grieving for me..that he wasn't disappointed in me but instead was running to me..longing to just be with me and take all of the depression, shame, and guilt away. I felt loved and forgiven for the first time in 20 years.  He took it all away.. all of the pain..all of the things that I had done and the people I had hurt..he took it all.  Now I am filled with joy and love that I never knew existed.*

Lord, help us to see and know you as you really are a God who is not angry with us, but one who is consistently moving towards us in love.  Take away our resistance and let us receive all the love and joy you have prepared for us.

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful,

since he cannot deny himself. 

2 Timothy 2:13 

*To read the rest of the amazing story click here:  Brennan Strawn - see his post for Dec 12

 Listen to a beautiful song: He's Been Faithful

Raised To New Life

Mt. Ngauruhoe, (Mt. Doom), NZ

But God is so rich in mercy,

 and he loved us so much, 

that even though we were dead because of our sins,

 he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. 

Eph. 2:4,5 (NLT)

To grasp the glorious truth that we have been raised to new life in Christ is the most freeing and empowering thing. 

I've spent so much time trying to crucify my old sinful nature, to change my behavior, but the trying never got me anywhere. But focusing on the truth that I have already been raised to new life has made all the difference.  Now, I'm not concentrating on dying but on living! - and that life is the life of Christ in me.

Lord, thank you for giving us new life through the power of your death and resurrection. May we walk in the joy and freedom of that new life today.

My old self has been crucified with Christ.

 It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

 Gal. 2:20 (NLT)