Beyond a shadow of a doubt. Psalm 91:1
What Jesus wouldn't do.
Hosea 11:4 “I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks." The infant is so close he can feel the warmth of the Father's breath. This verse out of the NAB translation is the closest that I can find to reveal the most basic definition of a child's obedience. We could read this from the view of the Father and easily overlook the perspective of the child. This verse sets the Old Testament context of Christ's words in Matthew 11:25,26.
The natural spontaneity and freedom that a child has is often forgotten from the blows of life causing deep sadness, fear, anger, and pain.
These emotions often cause panic attacks or what seems as attacks that can run us into isolation. This is due to the confusion from a tender conscience that has been brought about through experiences such as shattered expectations, envy, comparison, rejection, and "failure".
I wrote this blog after attending a birthday party for Michael Turner of Dawind Music Group Saturday afternoon. Nathan Lee was invited to sing for an hour to honor Michael and I went with him.
As most musicians know, playing for this type of event can be intimidating because it often seems that no one is listening to the music. Everyone appears to be talking and loudly. You wonder is it worth it?
Sitting in the audience at shows like this I have always enjoyed watching people’s reaction to the music as much as the music itself. Influence has always been a mystery to me whether through music, speaking, acting, etc. It's a subject I've studied and thought about since I was in high school.
As I saw more and more people begin to listen to Nathan's lyrics, it was interesting to see how an unknown voice to most in attendance began to influence their attention.
During the second or third song a girl who was between 3 and 5 years old moved up to a table just in front of the stage with her parents. Then she stepped away from the table and began to dance. Her dancing was like most young girls (and drunk white men). Jumping. twirling around, and almost losing her balance at each end of the twirl.
She appeared to respond to the music without understanding what was said. She captured the attention of several watching the show simply by her spontaneity and freedom, seemingly without fear or shame. She even stopped at times to see if anyone was watching besides her parents.
While playing the song Beautiful, Nathan came to the line "spin around" and then suddenly the girl stopped jumping and twirling. She in perfect balance began to spin around. It was as if she was waiting for her recognizable cue of obedience.
Her understanding of the music was to dance without the fear of misunderstanding what was said. Yet, when the simple command of "spin around" was sung, there was no hesitation or difficulty to act on this personal and specific call no matter what she felt. Psalm 30:10-12
I was reminded through her of the meaning of obedience in the Old Testament. We run toward the "sayer" or Voice.
To know the Voice is to know to whom the Voice speaks. Deuteronomy 4:12, Jeremiah 33:3
Don't paint my Black gray said I to self.
What you say that is gray
should be back on the shelf.
To give my Black color
is reporting something other
as twisting life into death
causing God's Word to smother.
"It's not I" said I to self
but Christ removing me,
not self, from the shelf.
Shaking the dust off my feet
giving a new Experience
over self deceit.
Stillness. Hosea 6:6
Afraid of the dark during the day? Often our fear is not of the dark but of darkness. I fear what I don't know. I fear the author of what I don't understand. Exodus 20:21 Our minister, Randy Draughon, speaking from 2 Peter 1, made it clear today that fear makes us close our eyes to the obvious. Refusing to see the obvious intensifies the fear of darkness; the not so obvious. Deuteronomy 4:11,12
When circumstances are difficult to experience and understand (i.e. chaos) we often see only clouds and thick darkness when we ask "Why?". The Word and words aren't often clear in the experience, itself. I at some point through stillness have to process what has happened and is happening. Proverbs 22:21
The Word will reveal himself in ways that I do understand. Psalm 91:14-16
The Word will reveal himself in ways that I do understand even while the bigger picture is misunderstood. Psalm 97:2
The experience has to be processed by trust and obedience; something we rarely allow to happen. Romans 1:5,6
We tend to jump into something or jump ahead in thoughts, words, or deeds to deal with what we don't understand. Or we isolate ourselves with some form of numbing agent. Deuteronomy 4:30,31
An example of this often starts when we're young while moving in and out of relationships. We rarely allow our hearts enough time to heal from the previous one. Yet we will carry the complexities of a new relationship on top of fresh wounds until it's almost too much to handle.
This pain and rejection are not trivial and can create enormous confusion that spills into all areas of our lives and into the future. They begin to distort our views of our Holy Father, the people around us, and ourselves. These are views that need to be healed. Romans 2:1-4
The Word was with God in the beginning and the repetitive experiences of new beginnings bring more experiential clarity of Him and His Word. John 1:1-14
Self-Centered remorse is not being able to see the forest through the tree. (Galatians 3:12-14, Hebrews 12:17)
Conviction produces a vale...(Psalm 84:6)
Conviction produces a vale of tears that have a voice...(Psalm 39:12)
Conviction produces a vale of tears that have a voice and that wash away along the way the blinding veil. (2 Corinthians 3:14-18)
This voice knows...(Romans 8:26)
This voice knows and receives the tree which brings us the forest. (1 Peter 1:21, John 16:5-11)
A Cain doesn't make you Abel. (1 John 3:12)
Conflict resolution can take place within one's heart regardless of the other side in the conflict. It doesn't take two to tango. Romans 12:18 Until I realize this, I will not only try to control the conflict but may not even be aware of how controlling I am. One of the important marks of a Christian should be self-control. Yet, often it is the self that is in control.
What is the self? Self is the veil that hides the face of God from us. It can only be removed by spiritual experience, not by mere instruction. 2 Corinthians 3:14-18.
The self makes us think the teachings of Christ are false or that His teachings are more important than He, himself. John 5:39,40
We often reveal this by saying "God gave me a brain. I'm not going to put it in my back pocket".
It's not the teachings of Christ but the Christ who teaches.
Part of the confusion that comes from this veil is how we view change. Change is the result of imperfection. Psalm 119:96
Change is often viewed as someone or something becoming different and difference threatens. What we do in response to a threat is to kill it or control it.
I learn that it is Peace(Micah 5:5) that I seek in conflict through hearing(Psalm 85:8). It is near that Peace that my rebellion is tamed so I can learn to quit trying to have to resolve the conflict to have peace.
Rebellion is how the self "spiritualizes" or justifies itself. Simply demanding justice rather than the resolve to be who I'm called to be in or out of conflict. Daniel 1:8
Ever had someone gaze at you? Just glance? Or, think about when you glanced or gazed at someone or something. The difference between the two is significant and can be life changing. Psalm 27:4 Glancing creates many questions that not only lack answers but procrastinates the steps to them. It requires no risk or commitment. James 1:22-25
Gazing restores the lost deep sense of wonder answering the questions our hearts most deeply needed answered i.e. our position, purpose, and power to act as His son or daughter. Ephesians 1:5-19
To gaze upon is the "stareway" up and into the experience of meaning and significance that becomes more important than certainty.
Studies in psychology point out that human beings are not wired to take risk. People take risk or put themselves in risky situations because they don't think it is a risk.
What the eye of faith requires is risk and commitment rather than certainty and the world's conformity.
Psalm 119:18, Romans 12:2,3
We often can see the small picture or the bigger one, but it takes wisdom to see both. Wisdom not only reveals but draws you into the revelation and keeps you there.
It's seeing the bigger picture and you're in it. Seeing the background while on the playground.
Content and context come together from willingness to hang in there repeatedly over time.
Don't get the "led" out.
Matthew 11:19,25
Ever heard someone tell you "Just get over it"? Often this is said through someone trying to help and encourage. However it is a very misused and ill-timed phrase. Spoken without wisdom can steal the emotional experience of shattered expectations needed to process what has happened that may have not only deeply affected you, but brings out the unresolved pain and hurt from the past. Proverbs 25:11
The Scriptural version says to overcome rather than get over it(1 John 5:1-5). I may never get over it and especially as fast as others prefer. But I can overcome the obstacles and still succeed with all the emotions besides only anger. To grieve is to heal and there is rarely if ever any anger without underlying grief.
Wasn't the message of the cross that no matter how much pain might be inflicted that we by God's grace may still by obediemce learn to continue to make righteous decisions in which we're being led? Hebrews 5:7-14
It seems we spend a great deal of our lives looking for the right answers to the wrong questions. That is why so many have to be right and kill many relationships around them proving that fact.
All questions can be good if not bound to finding the answer to that specific question. It could be at times of confusion that is the only way we know how to communicate and we demand the answer. If it is the wrong question, you are free to let the question be a step on the path to the right one and that answer will make you rejoice even if the circumstances haven't changed.
The storms in our life often reveal the surface questions that we have in the 1st step of the conviction process.Consider that the "perfect storm" might be our Father's way of loving us out of our immaturity(Hebrews 12). Or, simply perfecting us so that we will walk the talk, just talk, not talk, walk, or not. It's however we're being led and it often changes. Yet, the leading remains true to the Word.
As Randy Draughon of www.midtownfellowship.org often paraphrases John 16:33 "Cheer up. We're worse than we think we are".
You don't always have to gear up. Luke 10:40-42
It's interesting how often that we think we have to figure things out. The starting point is often confusion. Mysterious confusion. Deuteronomy 4:11,12 We are trained to believe we can know all the facts necessary and if all aren't known, we're weak. Didn't someone say knowledge is power? Did someone also say be strong?
However, figuring something out tends to abstractly decide how many facts must be known to declare we now know whatever "it" is.
To remove confusion and retain the mystery truth must matter. Not factual truth but truth as truly someone. This is simply acknowledging Him in all our ways or thoughts which replaces "figuring it out" with "listening to respond". Proverbs 3:5,6
Once heard, we know what to do next without having to understand or having it figured out. All of a sudden we're free to move forward.
Joy rises back to the surface and hope is restored by the Voice within. This is always about what He said rather than what we see or feel. Psalm 73:21-26
Simple living by faith rather than by sight.
Be sound if not strong. John 8:31-36
Tracks meet. John 4:30,42