In response to my last post—
I can’t believe I’m quoting Piper, but this is actually a pretty cool analogy.
“the most godly people in the world are like a clear glass
of water
with a sediment of sin hidden 
at the bottom of the glass. And
when the glass is struck-with Job’s suffering, or with our
recession-the sediment of sin is stirred up and exposed, and the water
becomes cloudy… At the bottom of every Christian heart-no matter how advanced in faith
and godliness-there is the sediment of self-reliance. Then God shakes
our lives, sometimes to the foundations, to show us our self-reliance
and clean it out with a new, deeper reliance on him”
of water
with a sediment of sin hidden at the bottom of the glass. Andwhen the glass is struck-with Job’s suffering, or with our
recession-the sediment of sin is stirred up and exposed, and the water
becomes cloudy… At the bottom of every Christian heart-no matter how advanced in faith
and godliness-there is the sediment of self-reliance. Then God shakes
our lives, sometimes to the foundations, to show us our self-reliance
and clean it out with a new, deeper reliance on him”
This vertigo has revealed so many of the hidden things in my
heart. My fear of abandonment. My workaholic tendencies. My belief that I have to do it for it to get done. My
self-reliance. Until vertigo, I never asked for help. Then came the
nights when my housemates had to help me walk across the room because I
couldn’t stand on my own.
heart. My fear of abandonment. My workaholic tendencies. My belief that I have to do it for it to get done. My
self-reliance. Until vertigo, I never asked for help. Then came the
nights when my housemates had to help me walk across the room because I
couldn’t stand on my own.
One that is huge, that I’m really working through, is
figuring out my identity in Christ. Mainly, my worth in God’s eyes.
Does He hear me when I pray? Does He care when i cry? Does He really
laugh at my jokes? Is that whole “smite thee with lightening” thing for
real? Okay, the last one may have been made up.
figuring out my identity in Christ. Mainly, my worth in God’s eyes.
Does He hear me when I pray? Does He care when i cry? Does He really
laugh at my jokes? Is that whole “smite thee with lightening” thing for
real? Okay, the last one may have been made up.
Will He do something because I ask? Can I move His heart to action?
One
of my favorite stories in the Bible is found when Jesus does His first
miracle, found in John 2. He’s at a wedding with the family, and they
run out of wine. This is a pretty big deal back then, and Mary tells Him about the problem. He tells her, “my
time hasn’t come.” She tells the servants, “do whatever He tells you to
do,” and Jesus turns water into wine. Simple, well known story. I
always thought it was strange that this was his first miracle, but
thought little of it until recently.
of my favorite stories in the Bible is found when Jesus does His first
miracle, found in John 2. He’s at a wedding with the family, and they
run out of wine. This is a pretty big deal back then, and Mary tells Him about the problem. He tells her, “my
time hasn’t come.” She tells the servants, “do whatever He tells you to
do,” and Jesus turns water into wine. Simple, well known story. I
always thought it was strange that this was his first miracle, but
thought little of it until recently.
Let’s go over the facts again: She tells
Him about it, He says “it’s not the right time” but then He does it
anyways. What’s the significance here? Did you ever stop to think about
it? He says “No. It’s not the right time,” but He DOES IT ANYWAY. Why?
Because of his relationship with his mom. She was distressed, so He
listened. This is a BIG thought.
Him about it, He says “it’s not the right time” but then He does it
anyways. What’s the significance here? Did you ever stop to think about
it? He says “No. It’s not the right time,” but He DOES IT ANYWAY. Why?
Because of his relationship with his mom. She was distressed, so He
listened. This is a BIG thought.
God listens to us. He does. Sometimes we don’t see the answers to our prayers, but He has promised in Romans 8:28 to cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him”
I’ve been begging God for years to “increase my faith” and I’m realizing that those things grow through experience. As
we are stretched, we make more room for Him.
we are stretched, we make more room for Him.
I’ve been realizing that all of these
things that I’ve been wrestling with are in preparation for this crazy
adventure I’m about to embark on. I will need to rely on my team to get
through some things. I will need to know and trust in the goodness of
God, even when it appears like the world is crashing down. I will need
to trust that He will never leave us, nor forsake us, even when I feel like He has.
things that I’ve been wrestling with are in preparation for this crazy
adventure I’m about to embark on. I will need to rely on my team to get
through some things. I will need to know and trust in the goodness of
God, even when it appears like the world is crashing down. I will need
to trust that He will never leave us, nor forsake us, even when I feel like He has.
2 Corinthians 4:
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
