Encouragement for the weary

Today I am feeling blessed. Even though it is not Thursday, God has placed on my heart some encouragement to share. My scripture reading for today really just summed up so nicely some "wrestling with God" that I have been doing this week and I hope it is helpful to you.

S - Mark 6:1-7
Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. ² When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? (side note by this author: this is not Judas who later betrays Jesus) Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” ⁵ He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. ⁶ He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. ⁷ Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

O - My first observation is that I find it remarkable that Jesus has lived 30 years before he started his ministry. He was "God with us" and yet chose to live a human life in a small town in Nazareth as a carpenter. I have always found this interesting and what I can decipher from the scriptures is God's timing is always perfect and Jesus knew when the right time would be to begin. Mary knew who he was because of his divine birth and yet she had been waiting all this time for her son to show the world "what he can do"...no one, not even his own mother, really understood what his ultimate purpose was, even as he died on the cross.

In this passage, Jesus has already begun his ministry and he is returning to his hometown with his disciples. The people that he grew up with actually are offended that he is saying the things he says and is performing miracles. They are having trouble seeing him for who he is because they are blinded by how they saw him growing up. It's not like he woke up on this 30th birthday and became the son of God. He knew who he was all along and waited before revealing it to the world. They don't know what to think of him and Jesus is amazed at their lack of faith!

Another observation about this passage is that Jesus was not discouraged by this lack of faith from his hometown and continued with his plan. From his comment, it's like he knew exactly how they would react but he went home anyway. Then, He sent out the disciples two by two. His plan for sharing his message was for the disciples to go in pairs. They were not meant to do ministry alone. On the journey the disciples were able to encourage one another and complement each other's strengths as they ministered to people.

A - This reminds me of the story of when David was anointed king as a young shepherd boy. No one that knew him believed that a young shepherd boy would be called by God to be king, nor did they believe that he could take down Goliath. One of my favorite verses from David's story is from 1 Samuel 16:7 - "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith in his hometown, although he was probably not surprised. They looked at Jesus' outward appearance and saw a carpenter boy.

For me personally, this applies to my life in a couple ways. First, it is kind of interesting to me that today we have a show like "The Voice" and we have a local girl from here in Houston (Cypress) that will have everyone in our area cheering her on because she is from our town. AND she won the whole thing!!! WOW! We can say "we know her!" when we don't really "know" her, we just claim her as one of our own. I wonder what would happen if it was like in Jesus time but with modern technology and someone from our high school or hometown went on national TV and started quoting scripture, healing people, and claiming to be the son of God. Would we have the same reaction as someone we could cheer for on a talent show? Would we react to the son of God the same way today as the people of Nazareth? Do we see someone's potential, or do we see who they have always been? 

Secondly, two nights ago my friend Linda was an encourager. Some may think I'm weird but I could literally sit and discuss "deep thoughts" for hours. There are not many that would do this with me, not even several of my family members. People get bored...want to change topics...get restless...etc. Perhaps she felt compelled because I was "wrestling with God" over something and she wanted to help. Linda just sat, and listened, and gave biblical advice and prayed, and listened some more. This went on for hours and it occurred to me that Linda made a CHOICE to give me encouragement and be a friend, even while I probably drove her a little crazy. Even while she may have been tired and annoyed with me inside, she chose to show me love and support instead as we talked through all angles of the topic at hand. The "deep thoughts" that Linda was helping me wrestle with God about was having to do with listening for God's voice, waiting, and not growing weary as we wait on the Lord. For me, I find it easy when a friend is struggling, to be an encourager and have a steadfast faith in the Lord that I even surprise myself with sometimes. But sometimes I need the same thing from a friend and I really get very hard on myself that I "need" it! And I definitely don't like to ASK for encouragement! I think I should be strong and I'm not. Linda was this friend for me and it was a significant conversation because it helped me realize exactly what this verse that I read today is about.

We will face hurdles in life and beat ourselves up for not being who we or others THINK we should be. People look at us and think "you can't do that" or we look at ourselves in the mirror and think "who do you think you are...you're not ever going to be/do _________". Sometimes we are our own worst critic. Sometimes we have someone in our life who always sees the negative or "realistic" side of things and it makes you doubt your abilities. Sometimes, in my case the other night, we are doubting whether we're walking the right path that God wants us to take or whether we are really hearing his voice, or whether we can even do what we think he wants us to do! Sometimes you have ALL of these bundled up in your brain and it makes one complicated mess! Wow, that's a lot of doubt right there!!! (I'll have to write another time on "renewing your mind" and how we purge negative thoughts)

So here's some encouragement for those of you that are weary. Jesus was not discouraged by those in his hometown that did not see him for who he was or who he was going to be for the people. They had little faith in his abilities. He did it anyway. AND he encouraged his disciples to go out in PAIRS and do ministry ANYWAY. We are meant to do what God is calling us to do, even if it seems like a temporary assignment and face discouragement and doubters, and do it ANYWAY. And we are not meant to do life alone. Are you trying to do life alone or do you have someone to be a "pair" with...someone that encourages you and helps you use your strengths. I would venture to guess that the natural answer for many is your spouse, a best friend or a parent. However, I think there are many that will NOT say their spouse/best friend/parent is an encourager and he/she does NOT help you use your strengths. Maybe you feel like you have no one like this in your life. Maybe you are feeling DIScouraged right now. I'm not recommending changing your spouse or your parents necessarily, although you might be able to change your friends??? Consider this...perhaps YOU can be the encourager in ALL of your relationships and I just bet, you will find someone that will be the encourager for you. If that is your focus, how you can go out and be an encourager, it will take the focus off yourself and I believe God WILL send you someone to be an encourager for you. And you can be an encourager for yourself. You can do what God is calling you to do ANYWAY, even when it's hard, even when you face obstacles, even when you face naysayers, even when you doubt your own abilities. Let's believe that "God equips the called" and be encouragers for each other! I have been this for Linda (which I am glad to say I have the opportunity to do on occasion) and she had a chance to do this for me. It's a beautiful thing when we can look past the negative in each other and look at the heart, encouraging each other as we do life together.

P - Dear Lord, please hear my simple prayer. May you help us to hear your voice, send us encouragers, empower us to BE an encourager and equip us to do what you are calling us to do ANYWAY. In Jesus' holy name. Amen!

The Apostles' Creed

Today I am writing from beautiful Colorado. I am on a "girlie" retreat with my daughter, my friend and another friend's daughter. We are going to be working on being "missional" while we are here and took the girls to a dog kennel to try to see if we could help. We got to play with and "socialize" some puppies! It was so fun!

We are also going to be working through a short bible study with the girls called "Confirming Your Faith" and today I would like to share some thoughts on The Apostles' Creed.

There are perhaps many that have not been raised in a "traditional" church setting and may not be familiar with this creed that states what the Christian believes. Here it is in a "traditional" but updated version:
"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

S - John 11:25-27
"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

O - Being raised in and growing up in the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches I was aware of this creed and knew parts of it as a kid. I learned this creed in its entirety in confirmation class as a 6th grader and was able to recite it. This was something we would recite often enough in my church that it was helpful to know it. It didn't really hit home with me though until I was in college and teaching junior high Sunday school. It's like it had always been factual until I taught it to someone else and then it became personal. I was able to break it down into parts and really take in the depth of it because I was teaching it.

The verse here in John that accompanies this creed from our little study is Jesus speaking to a woman. I think it's important to know the context here...he is actually speaking to Martha the sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. In this verse, Lazarus has died and Martha and Mary are mourning, saying that if Jesus had been there, he wouldn't have died. Jesus was about to demonstrate His power over death so that his followers might believe. He is asking her to believe before He has even demonstrated this power. This is a testament to her FAITH. She had heard Jesus' teachings and seen miracles but resurrection takes it to a whole new level! She did not have to have proof of his power over death to have faith. She BELIEVED He was who He said He was by faith, and nothing else. He was not just a good moral teacher...He was God in the FLESH. He was God who came down to earth to live among us and save us.

Another observation is that He says whoever LIVES by believing in me...this is about not just believing but also LIVING by this belief. We demonstrate our faith by how we live and we help others come to believe as well by how we live. This does not mean we need to DO something to earn salvation, but it is how we respond to our faith, as well as how others come to know the Lord. If we don't share our faith, no one else would have a chance to believe and we would be keeping the greatest gift we've been given from ourselves. I don't know about you, but I want others to get to receive this amazing gift and share it with me!!!

A - the apostles creed has basically three parts of belief: creation, redemption, sanctification. First, we believe that God is the creator of all things and is over all things. Next, we believe that we have the opportunity to choose redemption because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us as a SUBSTITUTE. And third, sanctification is about holy living and demonstration of our faith...we need to believe in the importance of this AND in the correct purpose of holy living. I think this is the hardest part for many people in a lot of ways.

I think for the most part there are many that believe in God as they know Him...the creator, a "higher power", a provider. Even those that are not active in a church and those that follow the Jewish, Islam or other faiths or claim no faith at all believe that we are all believing in and following the same God. (I could get off on another topic about whether this is the same God or not, but I won't for now)

As for redemption, a belief that Jesus died for each of us is maybe an easier path to take than believing that this belief is actually going to CHANGE us through the process of sanctification. Many say "Oh yes, I want to go to heaven...I want to live forever with God." and yet do they really realize what they are inviting God to do? I don't want to dog certain denominations within the Christian faith but I think there are still MANY Christians that are focused on the "how to" guide book of what you have to STOP doing or what you SHOULD be doing to be a "good" Christian and forgetting one simple truth...we are saved by faith alone and this is the purpose of Jesus' redemption. Once saved, it is not up to US to change, it is up to us to ALLOW the Holy Spirit to change us through sanctification and show us how we can demonstrate our faith to others.

And this is why KNOWING what we believe is so important and why the Apostles Creed can be helpful. This is a creed that was written during the years of the early church. I'm not really an official "theologian" and will need to study up more on the origin of it but I think it's an important creed to know and live by and I'm pledging to try to be more purposeful in teaching it to my children. It is a foundation for everyday living and can be a guide for how to demonstrate our faith and share it with others. As the accompanying verse in John teaches us, faith is based on a belief that Jesus IS who He says He is and He will DO what He says He will do.

I think it would be a valuable exercise for all Christians to dissect this creed and really think through each of the points, one by one, and decide for themselves what they believe about it. Do we believe in the resurrection of the body, for example? Have any of us really taken the time to think about what we REALLY believe in relation to the gospel or are we just "going with the flow". Perhaps it's time to take a deeper look for yourself???

P - Father God, you ARE the creator of the universe. You sent Jesus to live among us and to save us through substitution and I am eternally grateful. You have transformed lives through the work of the Holy Spirit and I pray that others would not only believe this for themselves but that they would understand WHAT they believe. I ask for guidance Lord as I teach this truth to my children and to others. I pray protection for the TRUTH and that different interpretations of who Jesus is would not be just molded into a sweet little "box of rules" that we can hold onto. NO, I pray we would see life transformation and we would be open and receive the Holy Spirit, putting our life in his hands. Amen.

The American Dream and Finding our "Treasure"

Today I am posting because tomorrow is the 4th and I will be with my family and serving at my church instead of blogging! I am sharing something I wrote on yesterday's scripture reading. I will warn you...it got pretty long and I admit I had a lot of thoughts to share, so sit down when you have an hour or so :) It's mostly unedited because I was just writing away. I have been reading a lot lately about the current political and social debate issues and so I have been influenced by some to join in the discussion on "freedom". Before I wrote this I had been reading and viewing a lot of video discussion by other theologians and ultimately this is for me about what the Bible has to say. However, for more insight, after you read my thoughts, consider investigating some input on related issues with the following:

Tim Keller and Albert Mohler discuss "what is morality" and how do we judge what is "harmful". This elaborates on the issue of "independence" and "freedom"
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/09/20/what-is-morality-other-than-harm/

Tim Keller references in the above discussion a book by Andrew Delbanco called "The Real American Dream" and there is a NY Times review of this book from a secular view that I don't necessarily agree with on all points but does conjure up some interesting discussion
After viewing the above video for context, Read the article here http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/11/07/reviews/991107.07rortyt.html

I am currently reading JD Greear's book called "Gospel" and here is an interesting perspective (video discussion) on the gay marriage debate
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/07/03/how-can-homosexuality-be-wrong-if-it-doesnt-harm-anyone/

And you can go even deeper into this with Voddie Baucham's article on "civil rights"
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/19/gay-is-not-the-new-black/

And finally, here are just some interesting facts on "9 things you should know about Independence Day and the Declaration of Independence"
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/07/03/9-things-you-should-know-about-independence-day-and-the-declaration-of-independence/

Please share your thoughts on anything I've written or on the above commentaries. I am always open to reflecting on other opinions and ideas that are shared in the spirit of MUTUAL understanding.

SOAP devotional for July 2, 2013

S – Matthew 6:19-34

¹⁹ “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. ²² “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. ²³ But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. ²⁵ “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ²⁸ “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? ³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God^[d] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

O – There really is SO much here that we can learn. What strikes me most this time in reading this passage again (for the 100^th? time) is vs. 22 talking about the eye providing light to the body. I’ve never really focused on this part that says your body is filled with “darkness” when your eye is bad. And then it goes on to say that if you “think” you have light but you really have darkness, how DEEP the darkness is. To me this is like going to the eye doctor and finding out you have cataracts or that you need even a minor adjustment to your vision with glasses. You have been walking around and maybe not even aware that your eyes were working so hard to see clearly when all of a sudden you put on some glasses or have surgery and VOILA! You can see clearly! It’s like euphoria when you realize how clear your vision is!

Another observation I haven’t really thought about before until this reading is the lilies of the field and how God cares for the “wildflowers”. God cares deeply for these flowers that really know nothing of God’s greatness and therefore if He cares for them, we should assume how much more He cares for us. If you think about it, no one plants wildflowers…they just grow, wild and out of control. This makes me think of kids that are for whatever reason left to basically raise themselves…they grow “wild and out of control”. This doesn’t always mean they are bad kids. I think it depends on which road they choose to take. There are kids that are neglected, abused, run away, etc. Some of these kids choose to make something of themselves in spite of their situation. They work hard in school. They look for mentors and ask for help. There are “rich” kids that raise themselves or have a nanny because mom and dad are busy making the dough or playing tennis or busy with their “charity work”. Many of these kids may see the disadvantaged in the world around them and choose to focus on the good they can do instead of the loneliness they may feel. I used to teach a bunch of kids that lived in apartments and were what we called “latch-key kids”. They came home to an empty house because maybe they were being raised by a single mom working two jobs or doing shift work at weird hours and these kids had to be responsible enough to cook their own dinner and do their homework on their own. I don’t think these parents didn’t care for their kids, I think they were in a tough spot and felt they didn’t have much choice.

A – Today in reading this I feel like there are a lot of puzzle pieces in my head that are coming together to create a picture of the American Dream. This week we celebrate “Independence Day” and the birthday of our country becoming an independent nation. There are people all over the world that seek to come here to work, and go to school, and live the “American Dream”. MANY are crossing the border from Mexico illegally every day because if their children are born here then they will be American and have a “better life”. So many people think we have it so good and in reality we have it better economically than probably 90% of the rest of the world…is that too high of a number??? Probably not…there is a LOT of poverty around the world. However, I would like to venture an idea that we are really no better off than any other country and are not setting a very good example of using our “independence” for good. Now stay with me because I have a lot of thoughts that I’m trying to communicate clearly…I hope this makes sense.

My Grandfather, Michael Varro, was born in Hungary (in a part that actually became Romania after WW2) and immigrated as a child with his father and brothers to Saskatchewan, Canada. His father desired to make a better life for his children after his wife died and spent everything he had to come over on a ship to North America. He worked for the railroad and they lived in a boxcar. They had nothing. My Grandfather found the Lord as a young man at a revival and hitchhiked to California to go to Bible College. He met my Grandmother and they had 5 children (one died at the age of 4) and were missionaries to Taiwan and China for over 30 years. He became an American citizen shortly after my Dad was born in Alaska, before it was even a state. Ok, so that’s the short version and one branch of the family tree on where I came from. I share that because that is MY personal foundation for living the American dream…and yet, it’s not. My Grandfather came here for a better life and chose to become an American citizen, and yet he never desired to “get rich” or make a name for himself, and he definitely didn’t stay IN America to live out his purpose. His “American Dream” was actually to seek God and serve Him. I didn’t know my Grandfather well and honestly I resented him a lot when I was younger because he always seemed to care more about his “work” and what God wanted him to do than his family. However, I have come to the realization as an adult that he was simply doing what he believed he was called to do and he knew that God would take care of the rest of us. He was not “worried” about his family because he had a confidence in God’s provision. Now maybe he did actually take that a little too far…he was flawed as we ALL are in relationships to some extent because he didn’t always see that God’s provision for families is a loving, present father/grandfather. We all could use some help in the area of HOW to love our “people”. But what I have learned from his example is that our true purpose is to follow the Lord’s call and let HIM worry about the rest.

In this passage in Matthew, God is trying to teach us about DEpendence on Him. We are often so busy pursuing the “American Dream” and paying our bills and seeking that ONE thing that will make life “better” (if I only had a new car, if I only had an extra $100, if I only had a boyfriend, if I only had a better job, etc.), and even trying to figure out our PURPOSE that we are missing our true PURPOSE. If we look at the wildflowers of the world and how so many kids that are raising themselves are becoming “independent” in their thoughts because they are thinking “I don’t need anyone because I know how to take care of myself”. We as a society are doing them and ourselves a disservice because we are becoming a society of like-minded people. We are becoming more and more “independent” as a nation when God is trying to draw us to Him and become a DEpendent people. We think “The world has let me down…I can do this on my own.” And God says “You need me. I’m here to help. I am already working along side you and AHEAD of you. I have a ‘plan and purpose’ for your life”. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Just look at what is happening in our courts and political arena right now. The social issues that are getting everyone heated are causing division and greater independence. They are about personal “freedom”, “choice”, “civil rights”. We are dividing ourselves into small minority groups, even among Christians. We are speaking up for what we believe in, which is GOOD, but we are losing track of HOW we are treating each other and therefore creating MORE division. The plain truth is that we are not all playing nicely in the “sandbox” and we are all trying to take our ball and go home, but the REALITY is that we are a NATION that is a community, whether we like it or not and we need to GET ALONG. There really isn’t any “independence” when it comes to living in a community, unless you’re the unibomber living off by yourself in the woods somewhere. We all have neighbors and co-workers and drive down the road together. Our kids go to school together or play at the park together. Our dogs go to the same vet and we go to the same doctor’s office. There isn’t really “independence” when we must interact with people every day. And I would venture to say that I think the key here that relates to the “American Dream” is that we are getting so focused on our “cause” that we are forgetting what is at the root of it all. Life is really about relationships and we are doing a STINKY job at the “golden rule”.

Which brings me back to focusing on the scripture at hand. The primary message here really is we are not to store up treasures on earth, nor are we to worry about our needs, and we are to seek and serve God. This is our purpose. We have become a very secular society of late and so many do not understand or embrace this purpose. Many believe that we are just here and we are to embrace the “YOLO” way of life, not concerned about anyone else…this is REAL “freedom” right?  What I do shouldn’t concern you and you are free to do what you want to do as long as it doesn’t affect me. Is this really the society that we want our kids to grow up in?  We all just go to work, earn our money, take our kids to Disneyworld, sleep with who we want in secret, drive the speed limit when a cop is around, maybe kick the dog when we get mad, cheat on our taxes a little, tweet some thoughts out to cyberspace, lie to our mom about why we can’t come home for Christmas, and celebrate when we get a bonus by buying a boat. We are mostly living a good life and our “bad choices” aren’t really affecting anyone. Is this really such an awesome way of life compared to Egypt, or Serbia? Maybe it is in the political spectrum or economically. I don’t know. I’m glad we’re not having riots and civil war for sure, but it actually makes me sad that we are living this way. I really believe that working for the “American Dream” and then turning on the news and watching us all hate on each other or being left with BAD relationships is not really a “dream.” I think it’s possible that some that aren’t focused on living the “dream” are actually happier???

I realize this is getting super long so here’s one last thought. Personally I believe we live in the best country on the planet. When we have a crisis we draw together…like 9/11 or the Boston marathon bombing. Recently when firefighters here in Houston were injured and killed, there were people giving blood and raising money for the families. I have seen strangers that are not even Christians return found wallets and give money on the street just because they are good people that want to do a good thing. I think MOST of us want to do the right thing and help out our fellow man. I think there is GOOD in all of us. Don’t even get me started on the debate about Christians being the “good people”. That’s not the GOSPEL. The reality is that we are a HURTING, lonely, lost, prideful people that want to fill the empty hole we feel every day with STUFF that can’t ever fill it. And this brings me back to the part about the EYE. We “covet” what we SEE every day. I got this line from the movie “Silence of the Lambs”…this is the BEST bad movie ever! The serial killer guy coveted what he couldn’t have and therefore it drove his bad behavior. He justified his bad behavior because the world had wronged him and maybe there was probably a little psychosis going on. Unfortunately I don’t think we are really much different. We justify our behavior because it’s “not as bad” as a serial killer or it’s not as bad as someone that we JUDGE as worse than ourselves. Let’s take a reality check. If I SEE the next car I want to drive and I focus on what I need to do to get that car, what would stop me from stealing it, or working two jobs and neglecting my kids so I can buy it? Is that really any different? If I am a lonely woman who’s husband travels a lot (and this is not me by the way :) and fill my loneliness with ice cream while WATCHING Channing Tatum in “Magic Mike”, am I really so satisfied that I will be “happy” with my husband when he gets home? Or vice versa and I'm the husband that travels a lot and WATCHES the adult channel in the hotel room. Will I be satisfied with my wife that I SEE isn't as skinny as she used to be after having the kids and eating ice cream while I'm gone? If I am an investment banker and I SEE a great deal of money every day, would it not be easy to dip into some of it a few cents here, a few cents there and no one will notice, and justify it because I work hard and deserve it? I’m not saying wanting a new car and working hard for it, or watching Channing Tatum, or eating ice cream, or working in investments is BAD. The point is, we ALL are going to WANT something and does any of this really bring us the “American Dream” in the end? And what happens when we finally achieve this “goal”…we turn our attention to the NEXT thing, that’s what. This is really a lie we tell ourselves because we are never going to be satisfied until we are focused on SEEKING and SERVING God. That’s it. That is God’s plan and His design when He created us. We will continue to debate what is “freedom” and “independence” and “right and wrong” and who is “entitled” to whatever for all eternity until we actually embrace the idea that GOD’S LOVE, His sovereignty, and His provision are the answers to all of our questions.

 

P – Lord God, my prayer today is that we would “seek and find” YOU! I pray for our country and all those that are trying to live the “American Dream” by working to get more money, find satisfaction in achievement, jumping on the political bandwagon, or fill the empty loneliness. Lift the veil of discontent and lies, Father, that we might find satisfaction and treasure in YOU.  And I pray this for myself and my family as well…that we would each know our purpose and that we would hear YOUR voice loud and clear above all others to know what it is that you desire for us to do each and every day. Lift the burden and temptation on each of us to feel that we have to do it on our own, or juggle it all, or even seek satisfaction in the world. The world in and of itself was not really designed to meet all of our needs and your plan for us is a perfect one. I pray that we would all embrace your design to be fulfilled in YOU and you alone. I pray that we would SEE you in all your glory in the world but not be swayed to become OF the world. I pray that our eyes would be opened to see what breaks your heart and that you would equip us to go and DO what you call us to do. My heart is full Lord for a desire to share how much you love us and I am thankful that you SEE us in our own little spot among so many of your children…you see EACH of us and love us no matter what we’ve done, providing all our needs. On this week of celebrating our freedom, I celebrate the FREEDOM I have to worship and follow you and the FREEDOM I have in Christ! WOW! What a gift to know that I will not ever be separated from you Lord. Thanks be to God!