I Pledge Allegiance to the Bible

I've been helping with our church's Vacation Bible School this week. Yesterday morning in the opening assembly I stood with the children, put my hand on my heart, and said the pledge to the Bible. 

I was not prepared for the emotion that clinched my heart and brought tears to the corners of my eyes. 

I joined my voice with the voices of over 200 other children and adults, and we all said:

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word. 

I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

I will hide its words in my heart so that I might not sin against God.

Dang. Ouch. Ugh.

Read that again. Slowly. Really think about what it says and what it implies.

That's what I found myself doing yesterday (while both fists were clinched on the backs of the two 2-year olds I was wrangling).

When I was growing up, I said that same pledge to the Bible every summer during VBS. 

Oh if I had only grasped and meant the words I said. 

Oh if I had only understood my desperate need to cling to God's Word as my guide and safeguard. 

Then, I wondered, how many within my church and churches all around America would benefit from a regular, somber rehearsal of the Pledge to the Bible. How differently would we live if we really used God's Word as a light to our path and if we really hid it in our heart?

 

Take one book of the Bible for example: 1 Thessalonians. I've been reading and re-reading through it this week. Its authors convey a very serious and dedicated handling of the gospel message, a determination to please God rather than man, and an expectation that such living will be accompanied by strong opposition and suffering that must be endured. These scriptures command us to always be kind to everyone, to minister to one another, to build one another up, and to overflow with love for one another. They command us to be sanctified: dedicated to God and His divine purpose for our lives, devoted to moral and spiritual excellence, pure and separated from the world. I don't know about you, but it is evident to me that the contents of 1 Thessalonians alone are much greater and higher and holier than what my life has looked like so far. 

I have not practiced appropriate allegiance to 1 Thessalonians.

I have not practiced appropriate allegiance to the Bible.

I have been aiming to do much better.

What about you? Do you need to Pledge Allegiance to the Bible?

Recognition of His Power = Recognition of Our Great Need

God has made His Spirit and His power accessible to us. That statement alone is profound.

In Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul prayed that the eyes of our hearts would be opened so that we would understand "his incomparably great power for us who believe." Do we really grasp that? The power of the Creator of the Universe, so huge that it has no comparison, is available to us!!!!!! Paul continues on to say that this power is "like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead." Wow. The power that God utilized to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power that is available to be utilized in the lives of us who believe.

Pondering this truth makes me feel keenly aware of how desperately fallen and needy we all are.
Surely we are experiencing far less that what He intends. I am convinced of it.
The more I see Him, the more I see how desperately I need Him.
The more I come to know Him, the more I cry out for His invasion in my life and the lives of those I love.

I will never have any hope of being who He's called me to be unless His Spirit does a work in me that I will never be able to do for myself.

I will never be able to join with my brothers in a mighty revival of the Spirit of God unless He breaks our hearts and sets them onto a completely new direction.

My church will never have any hope of rising to be the selfless, passionate, and repentant body of believers we've been called to be unless He has mercy and pours of His Spirit upon us.

And so, I'll keep praying.
I'll keep crying out to God to do for me and my family and my church what none of us deserve but what we all desperately need: An outpouring of His Spirit that is so powerful and so personal that it cannot be ignored. An outpouring so persistent that we all are broken-hearted over our sin and alive unto Him who desires to make much of His glory in our lives! I shudder to think of how insignificant our days and years will be if He does not do this.

Ready, Set, Wait.

I shared a piece of advice with a friend yesterday. As soon as it came out of my mouth, it punched me in the gut. It was like the Holy Spirit said, "That advice was for you, Janet. Listen to what you're saying." I kinda brushed it off at the time, but then again this morning I was praying about an issue, and I heard my advice all over again. It was really good advice. Biblical advice that I really need to put into practice. In so many ways thus far in my life, I have not heeded the advice that I gave my friend. So, I figured since it was so applicable and timely for me, it might also be helpful to something you're going through right now.
Are you ready? Here goes.........

It's usually a lot more appealing to be busy and to be doing, doing, doing rather than to wait on God and trust His path and provision. Try to resist the attitude of self-reliance that would have you to believe you must make things happen entirely for yourself. Learn to become comfortable with seeking and waiting - lest in your busyness you miss God's best, right in front of your face.

Oh How Much We Need You, Lord!

I spent a while praying this morning for the leaders and members of my church - including myself and my husband. This week I have a real burden, an urgency, a gut-level realization of how very much we need the Holy Spirit to work in our lives; to deeply convict us of our worldliness and selfishness so that we are broken, repentant, and most able to experience the mighty presence of God when we come together on Sundays to worship.

In the Bible I read of a God whose power is unlimited and who invites us, through Jesus, to participate in that power. That's what I want! That's what I want for my church! And, I'm pretty sure that in order to experience God in this way we will have to become far more broken, far more hungry, far more submitted to His ways, and far more determined to seek Him above all other pursuits of our lives.

After I prayed I was reading in Isaiah about God's people, the rebellious nation of Israel. They forsook the Lord, turned their backs on Him, and went their own way time and time again despite hundreds of years of His divine care and provision for them. Their's is such a sad story. And as I read, I was saddened by how much we, the church, may be mirroring their sad example:

The Lord has spoken:

"I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox (notoriously dumb animal) knows his master, the donkey (notoriously dumb animal) his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt... They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.... Their land is full of silver and gold; their is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; their is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. 

Isaiah 1:2-4, 2:7-9 (parentheses mine)

Holy Spirit have your way in us - that we will experience this life as God has intended, not as we wish. 

Come Lord Jesus and teach us how to let you truly be Lord.

The Fatherless.....Singing of Their Father

Some friends of ours are considering a foreign adoption. Aware of the fact that adoption is such a literal and wonderful enaction of the gospel message, I decided to have a look this morning at what the Bible has to say about the "orphan" and the "fatherless." Did you know that there are over 30 verses in the Bible where God clearly expresses His compassion and concern for the fatherless? He also clearly instructs His people to be active in caring for the fatherless.

God makes me more and more aware that His work on this earth extends so very far beyond my American existence. He is turning my heart to be aware of needs all over the world. It's exciting to be growing. I can't help but wonder in what ways He will continue to convict Nick and I regarding our responsibility to reach beyond ourselves and into the lives of the lost, the poor, and the fatherless around us.

When Our Circumstances Just Don't Make Sense.....

In my last blog I addressed the truth that often God Himself will orchestrate dark, difficult, or painful times in our lives for the purpose bringing-about His glory. I think it was really good. I hope you read it. Then again I may be fooling myself to believe that anyone's actually reading my ramblings :). I'm inclined to keep writing, though, cause most of the time I'm writing for my self as much as for yall. I find it helpful in more fully processing the truths that God is teaching me. Anyway.......back to business......

In reading through the book of Job this week, I'm finding plenty of scripture that exposes our correct response during the hard and hurtful times of our lives. When our circumstances just don't make sense, when things aren't going as we wished or as we expected, when we feel we're being dealt an unfair, raw deal - WE CAN HAVE PEACE.

Peace in the midst of pain.
Peace in the midst of uncertainty.
Peace in the midst of trial.
Peace in the midst of sickness.
Peace in the midst of seeming hopelessness.
Peace because God is good, sovereign, and wise.


As I pointed out last time, God invited Satan to ruin Job's entire life and family. So, Satan ruined Job's entire life and family - as God stood by and watched! Job - confident in His God - responds amazingly with complete submission to God's wisdom and ways. In the midst of unfathomably horrible circumstances, listen to Job's words:

"Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 2:10


"Indeed, I know that this is true.... His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.... He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." Job 9:2a, 4a, 10


"In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.... To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his." Job 12:10,13


"Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him..... Indeed, this will turn our for my deliverance." 
Job 13:15-16

I don't know about you, but I'm convicted! Lesson learned for today: God is awesome and completely in control - so I need to be confident in Him and quit worrying about my circumstances. They will happen exactly as God wills. And, when His will doesn't feel particularly good to me, I still have the responsibility to respond with peaceful confidence in who He is. Got it!

God Will Not Always Make Us Happy

I have been struck lately at seeing how often God Himself orchestrated undesirable, hopeless, and painful circumstances for people in the Bible.

In the book of Job, God invites Satan to ruin Job's entire life and family. Satan does exactly that - as God stands by and watches.

To the children of Israel He said: I am going to give you the Promised Land! To take it, however, the thousands of you must first cross a massive, flooding Jordan River. After you have done that, you will need to conquer the mighty city of Jericho. It is well established, with massive walls for protection, and I know that you don't really have any weapons or trained soldiers or anything like that. But, no need to worry - I've got a winning battle plan. Are you ready? Here it is: Form a line, march around the city for seven days, and blow your trumpets........... Geez.

In the book of Judges, we read about how the Israelites are attacked for years by the powerful and oppressive Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples. God came to Gideon, the least member of the smallest clan of Israelites, and said, "I will make you a mighty warrior to defeat the Midianites!" Surprisingly, Gideon bought-into God's plan. Gideon gathered the troops for battle - over 30,000 men! But......are you ready.....check out what God says: "No, no, Gideon, that's far too many troops. You only need 300. Send about 29,700 of your men home, and with the remaining 300 you'll be able to defeat these mighty tribes of thousands of men that have been destroying your people for years." Once again.........geez.

Then, we see God orchestrating discomfort and temptation for Jesus himself. In Luke 4, we read of how the Spirit of God intentionally led Jesus into the hot desert for 40 days for the express purpose of being tempted by the devil!

In all of these accounts we see the hand of God orchestrating circumstances that seem painful, heartbreaking, hopeless, very uncomfortable, and very very challenging. On each occasion, His one motive is clear: To accomplish glory for Himself in lives of His people.

Who are we to assume that God will not similarly author hard and heavy circumstances in our lives for that same goal of bringing glory to Himself?

His one and main agenda for the lives that He has given us is not our happiness.
He is chiefly concerned with the accomplishment of His glory.