Neurology or Cardiology? Where's the problem?
I heard years ago that some people miss heaven by about 18 inches...the distance from the head to the heart. What does that mean? That many people know lots about God, the Bible, religion, etc. But at the end of the day, their hearts are lost. Murray explains, "...very many Christians have no sense of the great difference between the religion of the mind and the religion of the heart, and the former is far more diligently cultivated than the latter." Murray uses the analogy of eating. Our brains tell us that we are hungry and we know the effects of food on that hunger. However, all the knowledge, information, research and data about food, nutrition and metabolism will NOT satisfy that hunger. It's only when we experience the food within ourselves that it does what it's supposed to do. So it goes with God. A head knowledge is not enough. Our true waiting on Him is a heart matter. When we study God's Word, Murray encourages us to "cease from [our] thoughts, put no trust in them, and to awaken the heart to open itself before God and seek the living fellowship with Him." Our thoughts and efforts are "impotent". My prayer is that I will "give [my] whole heart, with its secret workings, into God's hands continually. He wants the heart, and takes it, and as God, dwells in it." God has blessed me with a mind with the capability to learn. And I do want to learn more of God's truths. But it's only if my heart is fully surrendered to Him in waiting, that I will experience the true blessedness of this life.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Day 8
The first time I read this, I was on a short getaway back in October. I had wandered out on a 4-wheeler, several miles from the ranch house I was staying at. Coming upon a small fishing pond, I saw a 2-man fishing boat with a battery powered trolling motor attached...hmmm...looked like fun. So I hopped in, spun my way out into the center of the pond and just sat. It was around 7:30 in the morning, just after the sun had risen above the trees. In fact I remember feeling the sun's warm rays as they topped the trees and hit me in the face. The reflection off the water was too powerful to look at. And as I sat and meditated on Day 8, I got to the last paragraph. "come with all that is dark and cold in you into the sunshine of God's holy, omnipotent love, and sit and wait there, with the one thought: Here I am, in the sunshine of His love." I don't know about you, but the power of the sun reminds me, even if it pales in comparison, of the glory of the Almighty God...and that morning, I felt its warmth as I read about His love. What an amazing creation we have to enjoy! The Hebrew word for waiting used in Isaiah 40:31 ("those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength...) is a picture of a worker expectantly waiting for his wages...in full eagerness and confidence that they are coming. So it goes in our waiting on God. Murray says "we ought beforehand to resolve that [our waiting] shall be with the most confident expectation of God's meeting and blessing us." So what about us skeptics who are so often afraid of getting duped that we hesitate to hold out hope for something we can't control? Where's the proof that waiting is worth it? God is that proof. I am waiting on Him, and He never disappoints. I'm not waiting on me, my feelings or what I think is best. I am to wait on Him to discover who He is and what He is doing. That's the blessedness of waiting on God. It's not in vain.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Day 7
"I surrender, I surrender." Somehow, I developed this silly game with my daughter and niece a few months back, which got named I Surrender. Basically, I hold onto their hands, swing them up and catch their legs with my other hand. Then after dangling them upside down for a few seconds, they scream, "I surrender" and I let them down. I can fully expect that in most situations, my niece will come up to me, say "Hi Unkie", and want me to play I Surrender with her. What does surrendering cost us? Doesn't it cost us control? Don't we risk not being able to control the outcomes of our circumstances when we surrender to someone else? Murray says that "a soul cannot seek close fellowship with God, or attain the abiding consciousness of waiting on Him all the day, without a very honest and entire surrender to all His will. Have I truly surrendered my life to the Almighty God? And do I trust that He will hold onto me and protect me from harm? If this waiting thing is to become real in my life, I must make sure that I have surrendered my own desires and will to His. If God is who He says He is, if I can have a personal, intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ and "abide" with Him, then there's no better option that waiting for Him. Murray says it best, "nothing less ought to satisfy than to be ever breathing this blessed atmosphere, 'I wait on You'".
Monday, January 4, 2010
Day 6
"Let none that wait on You be ashamed." Psalm 25:3
The implication here is that I'm not the only one waiting on God. WOW, go figure! I thought I was the only one struggling right now to figure this out. Of course I'm being facetious, but how easy is it sometimes for us to get so consumed with our own problems that we forget about issues that our fellow Christians are dealing with. I vividly remember a doctor's visit to Texas Children's Hospital about a year ago with our youngest daughter. Reports weren't as positive as we were hoping, and by the time we had descended back to the ground floor and waited for the valet to pull up the car, we had sunk into a pit of self-pity and discouragement. Poor us, right? Meanwhile, we turned away from the curb as we waited and saw a 3-4 year old girl in a wheelchair, entangled by cables and hoses. It was obvious she needed all this gear to keep her well. Upon chatting with the grandmother and mother, we learned that this precious baby was waiting on her second lung transplant. And things weren't looking too good for her at this point. She was beautiful and smiled when I reached out and kissed her hand. By the time we got in the car, our problems seemed to pale in comparison. And I was reminded about how blessed I've been, despite the difficulties I sometimes face. So why do I share this? Because I am reminded as I read Murray's words that I am to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, my neighbors, my fellow soldiers. As I am struggling to "wait", so are millions of others. And what I can do during my own time of waiting is to encourage those who are waiting...encourage them with the Word, with prayer and with support. May I encourage them, as Murray did for me, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say on the Lord." I was talking to a friend earlier today and asked the question, "Does waiting on God imply that He's not doing what He's supposed to be doing?" Isn't it true in our daily lives that we wait only when necessary, and most often, it's because someone else is not doing their job fast enough. But may I not forget that God is ALWAYS at work, bringing about His will in His timing. So when it looks like He's sitting around heaven twiddling His thumbs, I must know that He is at work in my life, with the "living assurance that waiting on Him can never be in vain".
The implication here is that I'm not the only one waiting on God. WOW, go figure! I thought I was the only one struggling right now to figure this out. Of course I'm being facetious, but how easy is it sometimes for us to get so consumed with our own problems that we forget about issues that our fellow Christians are dealing with. I vividly remember a doctor's visit to Texas Children's Hospital about a year ago with our youngest daughter. Reports weren't as positive as we were hoping, and by the time we had descended back to the ground floor and waited for the valet to pull up the car, we had sunk into a pit of self-pity and discouragement. Poor us, right? Meanwhile, we turned away from the curb as we waited and saw a 3-4 year old girl in a wheelchair, entangled by cables and hoses. It was obvious she needed all this gear to keep her well. Upon chatting with the grandmother and mother, we learned that this precious baby was waiting on her second lung transplant. And things weren't looking too good for her at this point. She was beautiful and smiled when I reached out and kissed her hand. By the time we got in the car, our problems seemed to pale in comparison. And I was reminded about how blessed I've been, despite the difficulties I sometimes face. So why do I share this? Because I am reminded as I read Murray's words that I am to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, my neighbors, my fellow soldiers. As I am struggling to "wait", so are millions of others. And what I can do during my own time of waiting is to encourage those who are waiting...encourage them with the Word, with prayer and with support. May I encourage them, as Murray did for me, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say on the Lord." I was talking to a friend earlier today and asked the question, "Does waiting on God imply that He's not doing what He's supposed to be doing?" Isn't it true in our daily lives that we wait only when necessary, and most often, it's because someone else is not doing their job fast enough. But may I not forget that God is ALWAYS at work, bringing about His will in His timing. So when it looks like He's sitting around heaven twiddling His thumbs, I must know that He is at work in my life, with the "living assurance that waiting on Him can never be in vain".
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Day 5
Show, Teach, Lead. OK, that's it. 'Nuff said.
Well, maybe not. Let's delve into this a little further. What are you talking about Scott? Psalm 25: "Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth." Aahh, now that makes more sense. Have you ever asked God for guidance? I know that where I am in life right now, it seems that this is my daily plea..."God, show me what to do!!" And then I wait, at least for a few minutes before I start thinking again, trying to make plans, contemplating Options A and B, and sometimes Z. But Murray reminded me that another part of waiting on God is waiting for instructions. He relates it to a military unit, waiting on orders from the commander. What unit would dare proceed without clear orders? But isn't it strange how often I take steps in one direction without really knowing, or at least sensing, that God is wanting me to go that way. I guess my inner GPS or compass is more trustworthy than Him? Murray's encouragement in relation to Psalm 25 is to "study it until your heart is filled with two thoughts: the absolute need, and the absolute certainty of divine guidance." See, part of my problem is that I don't always think I need God's direction...I've been down some roads a time or two, and seem to think I can predict the outcome or sidestep land mines on my own. But what ends up happening is too often disastrous. So I need to remind myself of the "need" for God's guidance, and then live with the confidence and promise from His Word that He will provide it, assuming that I am waiting on Him for it. This chapter reminded me that God ssssoooo much wants to love me and guide me in His ways. If only I would keep my eyes on Him and have a fully devoted heart. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." Lord, I need to be strengthened today. May I wait on You.
Well, maybe not. Let's delve into this a little further. What are you talking about Scott? Psalm 25: "Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth." Aahh, now that makes more sense. Have you ever asked God for guidance? I know that where I am in life right now, it seems that this is my daily plea..."God, show me what to do!!" And then I wait, at least for a few minutes before I start thinking again, trying to make plans, contemplating Options A and B, and sometimes Z. But Murray reminded me that another part of waiting on God is waiting for instructions. He relates it to a military unit, waiting on orders from the commander. What unit would dare proceed without clear orders? But isn't it strange how often I take steps in one direction without really knowing, or at least sensing, that God is wanting me to go that way. I guess my inner GPS or compass is more trustworthy than Him? Murray's encouragement in relation to Psalm 25 is to "study it until your heart is filled with two thoughts: the absolute need, and the absolute certainty of divine guidance." See, part of my problem is that I don't always think I need God's direction...I've been down some roads a time or two, and seem to think I can predict the outcome or sidestep land mines on my own. But what ends up happening is too often disastrous. So I need to remind myself of the "need" for God's guidance, and then live with the confidence and promise from His Word that He will provide it, assuming that I am waiting on Him for it. This chapter reminded me that God ssssoooo much wants to love me and guide me in His ways. If only I would keep my eyes on Him and have a fully devoted heart. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." Lord, I need to be strengthened today. May I wait on You.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Day 4
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I remember learning several years ago about an easy way to structure prayer. It uses the acronym A.C.T.S. A=Adoration, C=Confession, T=Thanksgiving, S=Supplication. There are certainly other ways to structure prayer, but this one sticks out in my mind, and I often find myself walking through these steps when sitting down to pray. It's a good method to teach kids as well. But however you may pray, what too often happens is we sit down and start the laundry list of things we need or want. Maybe it's a sick parent or grandparent. Maybe it's a job situation or a financial need. We jump straight to the stuff that matters most to us. But notice what ACTS starts with...adoration. In other words, the best place to start a conversation with the Almighty God is to acknowledge who He is and praise Him for all of His wondrous acts. Murray speaks on this matter and when I read this part, I got the smack in the face that he probably intended for me to get. "There may be much praying with but very little waiting on God." He talks about our obsession sometimes with our list of requests for God. But he proposes that we ought to "enter His presence...and just be quiet, so that He can overshadow us with Himself" Here's that "Be Still" thing again. Man, is there a message in there for me?! Be still and wait on the Lord. And then after we enter into His presence, we can approach the throne of Grace with our needs and pray for others. Waiting on God is our privilege as human beings. Our responsibility is to "prove that there is nothing more noble or more blessed in the exercise of our free will than to use it in waiting upon God." What does it mean to prove? To give evidence for, to test the truth,integrity and genuineness of. We have the ability to do just that. May we experience what it means to truly wait on God, and then have the courage to speak of its authenticity.
I remember learning several years ago about an easy way to structure prayer. It uses the acronym A.C.T.S. A=Adoration, C=Confession, T=Thanksgiving, S=Supplication. There are certainly other ways to structure prayer, but this one sticks out in my mind, and I often find myself walking through these steps when sitting down to pray. It's a good method to teach kids as well. But however you may pray, what too often happens is we sit down and start the laundry list of things we need or want. Maybe it's a sick parent or grandparent. Maybe it's a job situation or a financial need. We jump straight to the stuff that matters most to us. But notice what ACTS starts with...adoration. In other words, the best place to start a conversation with the Almighty God is to acknowledge who He is and praise Him for all of His wondrous acts. Murray speaks on this matter and when I read this part, I got the smack in the face that he probably intended for me to get. "There may be much praying with but very little waiting on God." He talks about our obsession sometimes with our list of requests for God. But he proposes that we ought to "enter His presence...and just be quiet, so that He can overshadow us with Himself" Here's that "Be Still" thing again. Man, is there a message in there for me?! Be still and wait on the Lord. And then after we enter into His presence, we can approach the throne of Grace with our needs and pray for others. Waiting on God is our privilege as human beings. Our responsibility is to "prove that there is nothing more noble or more blessed in the exercise of our free will than to use it in waiting upon God." What does it mean to prove? To give evidence for, to test the truth,integrity and genuineness of. We have the ability to do just that. May we experience what it means to truly wait on God, and then have the courage to speak of its authenticity.
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