Unwavering

 One of the things God has been working on my heart about is my foundation in the Lord.  Sometimes I feel a little inadequate in my walk with Jesus because I don’t have a 180 turn around type testimony.  I was raised in the faith of Jesus Christ; I’ve always known Him.  I haven’t been perfect by any means, I’ve had many struggles and things He’s opened my eyes to along the way.  But I’ve never been alone in the battle.  I’ve always had faith that I had Jesus to turn to; I’ve had a family who loved Jesus and the body of Christ in lots of forms surrounding me when things were hard.  

What a blessing this is!  I haven’t had to face this world alone!  In fact, my life is the result of a bunch of other people’s 180’s in the Lord!   And, I believe that’s what we all hope and pray for our children some day: to never have to face this world alone and to have the hope of Jesus Christ; our solid rock. But it’s also hard sometimes for me to relate to people who HAVE faced or are facing the world alone. I don’t know what to tell people when they come to me with these really tough issues, because I can’t really relate. I tell them the only hope I do know, the truth in love, and they tell me they don’t want churchy answers. I just keep loving them, praying and hoping they get the message through my actions of love and letting Jesus move in hearts as He pleases. That’s all I can do, but I always wish somehow I had something to share with them that they can relate to. 

Lately, I’ve found myself at a point of wondering if I’ve missed something.  I’ve been redeemed of the same life of sin as everyone else, but sometimes I don’t appreciate it as much as I should. I’m reminded of when Jesus spoke about the lost sheep, or the parable of the lost son. Pretty much all the Parables in Luke 15 point to this point. You should read it. J 

It’s really easy to develop emotions like that of the brother of the prodigal son, or just be counted as one of the random 99 left back in the pin. Why is that? When the father was rejoicing that his lost son had come home… his other son, the one that had been home serving his father all along, was angry. He said,

‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

 ” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ “ (vs 29-32)

The truth of the matter was the brother was jealous of the attention the Father was giving the prodigal son. The truth was the fact that his father had already given EVERYTHING to him, he just forgot in light of the moment. 

As with the story of the sheep, Jesus reminds us through the voice of the shepherd when He finds the lost sheep,

 “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15: 5-7

Yep, that’s the way it goes! AND THIS IS EXCITING STUFF! We are to be about our Father’s business. It’s not about us. There should be prayer and anticipation of answered prayers going on in the pin. (And now he even chooses to send His sheep after lost sheep!) So we have a choice:

1. To rejoice with Jesus and the angels when a lost brother or sister comes to know Him, or when He does a miracle in someone else’s life, or when He’s given vision or prophesies through someone else, or when He’s chosen to let us endure suffering for His Glory.

2. Pout because we’re not getting the Holy attention or the answers or situations we want. 

Put like that, the selfishness just reeks from it. 

I think the thing I forget sometimes is that even though God’s doing great things all around the world and even in our own circles, that same spirit is living in me and I should have a direct reaction to it! Our hearts should be stirring when we hear the good news of what God is doing, regardless of where He’s doing it or what it is! We should be moved to prayer and action when we hear of injustice or suffering, and we should instantly rejoice when we hear of good news! It seems so basic, yet I think I miss it a lot. This is cause to rejoice that the will of the Father is going on! 

And, even though this life of discipleship to Jesus is totally not about us, it doesn’t make us any less special in the eyes of our Lord! He still treasures us and counts us as precious in His sight! He still desires for us to get to know Him, and to be in relationship with Him! He wants us to draw closer to Him, and to serve Him in hopes that more may come to know Him! 

So, all that to say God’s been teaching me to rest in the security that I’m His own. I’m a sheep in the pin; I’m a daughter of the Father, a lover of the Savior. And because of this, I’m a servant in the vineyard. Even if I can’t directly relate to everyone’s issues, Jesus totally can, and He’s living inside of me. I have His love to share with others, and I’m not going to let anyone stop me from doing that!

We are told to rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again: REJOICE! (Phil 4:4, Psalm 40, Psalm 70)

I like Psalm 40 because it shows how David, very much an emotional wreck at times and very much human, always shared with God what was going on in His life. And still, he always rested on the truth of the Lord and always came back to the hope he had in the promises of the Lord. 

Psalm 40 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
       he turned to me and heard my cry.

² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
       out of the mud and mire;
       he set my feet on a rock
       and gave me a firm place to stand.

³ He put a new song in my mouth,
       a hymn of praise to our God.
       Many will see and fear
       and put their trust in the LORD.

⁴ Blessed is the man
       who makes the LORD his trust,
       who does not look to the proud,
       to those who turn aside to false gods.

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
       may your love and your truth always protect me.

¹² For troubles without number surround me;
       my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
       They are more than the hairs of my head,
       and my heart fails within me.

¹³ Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
       O LORD, come quickly to help me.

¹⁴ May all who seek to take my life
       be put to shame and confusion;
       may all who desire my ruin
       be turned back in disgrace.

¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
       be appalled at their own shame.

¹⁶ But may all who seek you
       rejoice and be glad in you;
       may those who love your salvation always say,
       “The LORD be exalted!”

¹⁷ Yet I am poor and needy;
       may the Lord think of me.
       You are my help and my deliverer;
       O my God, do not delay.

So, although this blog is extremely too long already, I want to end with a song called “Unwavering” by Matt Maher. I was listening to this in the car yesterday and it just hit me that I want my foundation in Christ to be as unwavering as He is Himself, regardless of my living conditions or circumstances in my life.

Here are the lyrics: 

Somehow, in that moment in the car, I had to turn off the CD Player, and thoughts of old hymns began popping in my head. I began singing lines from “blessed assurance,” “standing on the promises,” “in Christ alone,” and “The solid rock.” It was a sweet moment for me. Nothing crazy or emotional or anything. I think I began to crave those “spiritual high” moments more than I crave the Spirit who brings them. But, that same sweet spirit brought this moment of resting in the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. I was filled with this confirmation in my soul; that blessed assurance. 

God is Sovereign, unwavering in every way.

He created me just as I am, with the family, foundation, and background and life that He predestined just for me to have for the betterment of His Kingdom.

I am not inadequate to serve Him. That was a lie from Satan.