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I want it all!

Can I have it all on earth and in heaven?  This is the question that haunts me.  Today’s verse once again drove this home:

Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”  He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.  If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”  He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”  The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”  Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 19:16-24

I almost wish the young man had not asked the question.  I feel like I do “ok” with the commandments…  most of the time.   Of course a lot harder is the one Jesus throws on – love your neighbor as yourself.  But I feel like I can at least feel like I do that…  some of the time.  But give away my possessions?  All of them?  I like my possessions.  They provide me with a sense of security.  I grew up without many, scrounged for one meal a day in college, worked 3 jobs at a time on occasion.  Give up everything?  Do I trust God enough?  Is that what Jesus is asking me to do — trust God not the material world?  Honestly, every time I hear this verse, my blood pressure rises, I begin to panic and I feel depressed.  I am not sure I ever read the very next lines, though — which give me hope:

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?”  Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:25-26

I cannot do it without God — if I think I can, I will only end up panicked and depressed — because I know I will fail.  I am not strong enough.  I am not good enough to be perfect.  I am not able on my own to achieve eternal life.  But with God it is possible.

So I will continue to strive to do all these things, including giving more.  And I will continue to ask God for forgiveness when I fail, for mercy when my time on earth ends, and that it be His will that I might have eternal life with Him.

God,

I love you.  I want to spend eternity with you.  Please forgive me for the times that I have failed to keep your commandments, failed to love my neighbor, and acted selfishly with my time and possessions, focusing on worldly wealth rather than heavenly wealth.  Help me to do better.  I beg you to grant me your grace and your mercy, so that I may one day be with you.  I know I am not worthy of this, but I trust in your love.

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O Lord, Give Me Rest

Today the Bible opened in two places.

First:

The pronouncement of mortal man: “I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and I am exhausted.

I am more brute than human being, without even human intelligence; Neither have I learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy One.

Proverbs 30:1-3

And then:

Therefore, let us be on our guard while the promise of entering into his rest remains, that none of you seem to have failed.  For in fact we have received the good news just as they did. But the word that they heard did not profit them, for they were not united in faith with those who listened.  For we who believed enter into [that] rest, just as he has said:

“As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter into my rest,’”

and yet his works were accomplished at the foundation of the world.  For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this manner, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works”; and again, in the previously mentioned place, “They shall not enter into my rest.” Therefore, since it remains that some will enter into it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, he once more set a day, “today,” when long afterwards he spoke through David, as already quoted:

“Oh, that today you would hear his voice: ‘Harden not your hearts.’”

Now if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterwards of another day.  Therefore, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God.  And whoever enters into God’s rest, rests from his own works as God did from his.  Therefore, let us strive to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall after the same example of disobedience. Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.  No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.

Hebrews 4:1-13

I often feel like I need rest.  A few more hours of sleep.  A few hours to sit down and just breathe in and out, enjoying the day.  Just a little rest.  Just a few minutes.  I am weary.  I am exhausted.  Weary from the stress of life.  Exhausted from the fast pace of today’s electronic, mobile phone, everything at out fingertips, I-want-it-now life.  When I ask God for rest, I often think in terms of sleep.

Today, the Bible reminds me of the real rest that I am seeking.  God’s rest.  The peace and rest that comes from knowing God.  Proverbs talks about mortal man being weary — because he does not have wisdom, he does not know God.  Hebrews reminds us that we have been promised rest — through God.  It is not something we can achieve without Him.  True rest comes through faith in God, listening to His word and being obedient.  Without that faith the weight of the world can be overwhelming.

Lord,

Let me hear your voice.  Harden not my heart.  Help me to be open to your words and your plans.  I want to find rest in you.

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Hope in Heaven

Some messages stand the test of time:

When the time came for Mattathias to die, he said to his sons: “Arrogance and scorn have now grown strong; it is a time of disaster and violent wrath.  Therefore, my children, be zealous for the law and give your lives for the covenant of our ancestors.

“Remember the deeds that our ancestors did in their times, and you shall win great honor and an everlasting name. Was not Abraham found faithful in trial, and it was credited to him as righteousness?  Joseph, when in distress, kept the commandment, and he became master of Egypt.  Phinehas our ancestor, for his burning zeal, received the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.  Joshua, for executing his commission, became a judge in Israel.  Caleb, for bearing witness before the assembly, received an inheritance in the land. David, for his loyalty, received as a heritage a throne of eternal kingship. Elijah, for his burning zeal for the law, was taken up to heaven.  Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, for their faith, were saved from the fire. Daniel, for his innocence, was delivered from the mouths of lions. And so, consider this from generation to generation, that none who hope in Heaven shall fail in strength.

Do not fear the words of sinners, for their glory ends in corruption and worms.  Today exalted, tomorrow not to be found, they have returned to dust, their schemes have perished. Children! be courageous and strong in keeping the law, for by it you shall be honored.

1 Maccabees 2:49-64

Thousands of years later, the same advice is pertinent to me and my son.  “Arrogance and scorn have now grown strong; it is a time of disaster and violent wrath.”   No one can argue that these are our times too.

There are so many pitfalls in life.  So many people and things pulling you in different directions, and often pulling away from God.  Promises of glory and happiness and immediate gratification.  “Today exalted” but “tomorrow not to be found.”

It is easy to give in.  So hard to be courageous and strong in keeping God’s law.  As I read about the faithfulness, zeal, innocence, obedience and loyalty of some of the “greats” from the Bible, my eyes keep going back to the same line:  “And so, consider this from generation to generation, that none who hope in Heaven shall fail in strength.”

So many of the Bible’s teachings are really so simple — it is we who make them complicated.

Dear  God,

My hope is in you and in your salvation.  I ask you to help me here on earth.  Please provide me with sufficient grace.  Please provide me with sufficient faith, zeal, innocence, obedience, and loyalty.  Grant me the courage that I may be steadfast despite all of the pulls and promises of today.  It is my tomorrow that I want to focus on.  My hope in heaven.

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Return to Me

How many times does God call out to us to return to Him?  It seems like a recurrent theme in the Bible.  It doesn’t matter what we do, why we turn away, or how many times we turn away.  God is always there patiently waiting and calling us back.

Today the Bible opened to Malachi:

Return to me, that I may return to you, says the LORD of hosts.  But you say, “Why should we return?”

(Oh wow — don’t we do that?  What’s in it for us, we ask)

Can anyone rob God?

I have reread this line several times, trying to understand what it is saying.  God seems above being robbed — how can we take anything away from the one who has everything.  But maybe that is just it.  We take Him for granted.  Because He is always there and we know we can screw up and still return to Him, I think we (or at least I) take Him for granted and don’t pay attention to the hurt that we cause when we turn away.  He has plenty of others who are much better than me, what does He care if I turn away.  As I reread this passage what I am struck with is, HE DOES CARE!  How amazing and important is that?!

But you are robbing me!  And you say, “How have we robbed you?”  Of tithes and contributions!  You are indeed accursed, for you, the whole nation, rob me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, That there may be food in my house.

Put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, And see if I do not open the floodgates of heaven for you, and pour down upon you blessing without measure!

Malachi 3:7-10

Although this passage talks about tithes and contributions, it seems to be much more than that.  Trust me God says.  Let me show you.  Put me to the test — put your faith in me — let go of your worldly possessions, your money, your fears that you will be without — put your faith in me “And see if I do not open the floodgates of heaven for you, and pour down upon you blessing without measure!”

Dear God,

I am sorry for all of the times I have robbed you, robbed you of my heart, my trust, my faith and my tithe.  I do not want to turn away from you again.  Thank you for calling out to me again and again.

 

 

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Evicted! For the Cross

Tonight I watched two Catholic high schools play a baseball game.  And mid way through the game one of the boys from our team was ejected from the game.  Not for fighting.  Not for cursing at the umpire or even arguing with the umpire.  Not for taunting or excessive celebration.  Not for reckless or injurious play.  He was ejected for wearing a cross on a chain around his neck.  Now , yes there is a rule against wearing any jewelry and so yes, he was in violation.  And in some sports a necklace can be dangerous — but in baseball?  When both teams are from Catholic high schools?  It warmed my heart to see this 15 year old proudly wearing the cross.

Fittingly, tonight the Bible opened to Romans:

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach), for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.  For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.  For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:8-13

“For, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Tonight on the baseball field,  a high school teenager confessed that Jesus is Lord.

Lord,

Help me to spread your good news!  Help me to spread it not just on an anonymous internet page but in my every day life.  I know that you can save me.  I believe that you will raise me up.  I know that righteousness comes from faith and your grace.  Only you can save me.  You are my hope and my salvation.

Jesus is Lord!

Alleluia!

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Break into song! Happy Easter!

Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done marvelous deeds.

His right hand and holy arm have won the victory.

The LORD has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations,

He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness toward the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

 

Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.

Sing praise to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious song.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy to the King, the LORD.

 

Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell there.

Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy,

Before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth,

To govern the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.

Psalm 98

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Good Friday

As a child I never understood why we called the day Jesus died “Good.”  Today it makes sense.  Today Jesus laid down His life for us.  As He said in John: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  Today is all about God’s love for us.  And also the reminder for us, that death is not the end.  Our loved ones who have died, still live.  We will see them again.

Today the Bible opened to Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians:

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore, console one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

It truly is a good day.  What might seem like a terrible day to those without faith or hope —  what may seem terrible here on earth —  can be the most beautiful thing — can have a greater purpose.  Because we have faith and hope, we need not grieve like the rest.  Our God is stronger!  As I am typing the words to Chris Tomlin’s song “Our God” are singing through my head — rejoicing through my body:

“Into the darkness you shine, out of the ashes we rise there’s no one like you, none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?”

 

 

 

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Old vs. New

I struggle with the Old Testament.  It seems so different than the new.  So many rules, and anger and “fire and brimstone.”  Its different than the love that pours out of the New Testament.  I have questioned why God seems so different in the Old Testament as compared to the New.  Today I think I found an answer.

Today, the Bible opened to Galatians:

Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed.  Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.  For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.

I mean that as long as the heir is not of age, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything, but he is under the supervision of guardians and administrators until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were not of age, were enslaved to the elemental powers of the world.  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption.  As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”  So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-7

Initially humans were like infants.  We needed rules and discipline.  We were not able to understand or have faith — so we had to be told what to do.   We needed supervision and guidance.  We were “enslaved to the elemental powers of the world.”  God knew what we needed.  He had a plan.  And when the world was ready, He sent His Son, so that we might have faith, see faith in action, believe and know God.  He “sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts.”  That one is powerful:

“God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts”

We were ready to no longer be slaves to rules without understanding.  We were ready to live by faith, so we could know God.  God sent us Jesus so we could know Him, so we could have faith.  With faith — we are no longer enslaved to the elemental powers of the world.  The world has nothing on us, on our faith.  How blessed we are to know God.  To live in the time of faith, instead of fear and wrath.  To know God’s love through His Son, Jesus.  To know the Truth.

Thank you Lord!  Thank you for creating us to know you.  Thank you for sacrificing yourself so that we might believe.  Thank you for saving me!  Please send your spirit into our hearts!

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God loves you

I was reminded of this today.  A fairly simple thought.  God loves you.  God loves me.  What else do we need?

A friend reminded me of this verse from Joel:

Yet even now—oracle of the LORD—return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God, For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment.

Joel 2:12-13

God loves us and is always asking us to return to Him.  He is always waiting for us.

Whenever my son did not know the answer to a religion test question, he would answer “because God loves us very much.”  We still laugh about it — but he was right every single time.  Why?  Because that is the answer . . . to everything.

Tonight, I opened the Bible to Psalms:

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish? My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief.

Psalms 22:2-3

Although the Psalm started off in what seemed like a cry of despair.  It actually foretold of God’s greatest act of love: sending His only son to die on the cross for us.  The Psalm goes on to state:

They have pierced my hands and my feet I can count all my bones.  They stare at me and gloat; they divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast lots.

As Good Friday approaches, the similarities between the psalm and Jesus’ suffering are fresh in my mind.  In the gospels, Jesus tells us that he must fulfill what is written.  This never made sense to me, until I read the rest of this Psalm:

Then I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the assembly I will praise you: “You who fear the LORD, give praise! All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel!  For he has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, Did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out. I will offer praise in the great assembly; my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him. The poor will eat their fill; those who seek the LORD will offer praise.  May your hearts enjoy life forever!”

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD; All the families of nations will bow low before him.  For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations.  All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage. And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you.  The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.

The Lord is great!  Although God may not answer every prayer in the way that we hope (we are often wrong in what we think we need or want), through His greatest act of love He has shown us without question that He does not turn away from us.  He hears us when we cry out.  He hears us, He loves us, He sacrificed for us, so that we would know.

All glory and praise to God! God, I wish I knew how to rightly pay you homage — but nothing seems adequate.  I find guidance in the Psalm: “And I will live for the Lord.”

Lord, may I show you homage through my life!  I love you.

 

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Help me be subordinate!

Oh I needed this one!  (It probably would have been even more helpful, if I had read it before I got frustrated with my husband.)

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.  Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Slaves, obey your human masters in everything, not only when being watched, as currying favor, but in simplicity of heart, fearing the Lord.  Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.  For the wrongdoer will receive recompense for the wrong he committed, and there is no partiality.

Colossians 3: 18-25

This is another one for which I could probably use a daily reminder.  Usually I get hung up on the subordinate language (which I don’t particularly love), but today I focused on: “Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.”   Here is what I heard when I read this: Do everything from the heart — from goodness.  Everything is for the Lord.  I think sometimes I let myself get trapped into reacting to how others treat me.  But really every action we take is for the Lord — and if I remember it in that context, instead of whether the other person deserves goodness or whether I need to respond to  what they have said or done, then my response will be better.  I just need to love — I don’t necessarily need to correct, or judge, or prove that I am right.  My attitude, my response, my heart needs to be for the Lord, and I suspect if I do that, my interactions with others will be more loving, humble/subordinate, obedient and unprovoking (which is how God calls us all to be).

Dear God,

Grant me the grace to be humble, to be loving, to be obedient to you.  Help me fill all of my relationships with your love.  Help me treat everyone as I would treat you, instead of how I might feel treated by them.  Help me to do everything from my heart — the heart that you gave me.  Help me to place my desires subordinate to the needs of others.