Voluntary Weakness :: What?!?!

Nita, pictured here with with me and my dear friends Kerry & Angie

"Prayer is the ONLY means to access grace... divine favor and power..."

- John Harrigan (teacher at IHOP-KC)

I've been blessed this past month to sit under the teaching of two of the most humble and anointed Bible teachers I have ever been privileged to know: Nita Steiner and John Harrigan. They've been teaching me about prayer and how to live my life today for the age to come.

Here's a little nugget that has been "messing with my mind" and beginning to change the way I order my life:
"The hearers of the Sermon on the Mount were people who understood all about a coming Messiah who would destroy wickedness and rule on David’s throne in Jerusalem, restoring the earthly paradise that was in the beginning. They saw in Jesus the signs of the Messiah and were following Him around because they wanted to be in that Messianic kingdom; knowing this, Jesus preaches this sermon, showing them the nature of His kingdom and of those who would be part of it; then He tells them what the lifestyle must be in order to persevere in this age and prepare for the age to come – it’s a lifestyle of watchful prayer and voluntary weakness in the areas of food, time, energy, money, and words. Through the activities of praying, giving, serving, blessing our enemies and fasting food (Matt. 6:1-18), we voluntarily embrace weakness and declare to God that we derive our life and strength from Him alone. Unless these are practiced with a heart motivated by love, they are vain and empty."

How contrary to everything we've grown to know and embrace in this life! We love strength, wealth, pleasure, receiving, free-time... and yet, if we are really honest with ourselves, none of that truly satisfies us in a lasting way, right? I know I was made to be satisfied in God now and for all eternity... God, I pray that You would give me grace to embrace voluntary weakness.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6

He's Always Been Faithful

Questioning God's faithfulness? I'm sure you can relate...
Recently I've been praying for my own heart; for grace to be given to me to wait on the Lord, for His voice in His time, for the unfolding of His plan in His way. As I've asked God for this grace to wait and trust, I've been asking myself questions: "Do I genuinely expect and believe that God will answer me by giving the grace I am asking for? Do I have faith to believe that He hears and will move? Do I REALLY believe?"

And so I dove into the Word, devouring Hebrews 11 ("The Great Chapter of Faith"); reflecting on the testimonies of the faith of those who have gone before us... and the words jumped off the page: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

And then God answered my request! I'm pretty sure something actually shifted within me as I read that verse and listened over and over again to this Sara Groves song "He's Always Been Faithful" (Listen by clicking this link)

I can't remember a trial or a pain He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can't remember one single regret in serving God only and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I've heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me

Yes and amen! Lord, cause my belief in Your faithfulness to increase!

Positive Results of God's Shaking

Have you ever been bumped, tweaked, suffered loss, disappointment, uncertainty... and wondered... "God, what are You doing with my life? Don't You see? Don't You care?"...

A dear friend of mine is a full-time caregiver for her husband of 50 years as he suffers with Alzheimer's. This week, to encourage me in my own journey and time of personal "shaking" she wrote: "I am learning that God is more interested in my growth than my comfort." Oh, that my heart would be unoffended with what God allows in my life for my growth, for my good.

My pastor at Bethany Church, Matt Hedrick, recently reminded me of what he believes are positive results that God desires to accomplish through the shaking He allows in our lives, families, work, ministries:

1. To bring things closer to their foundation
2. To mix together things that are separate
3. To sift out things that don't belong
4. To harvest fruit that is ripe and ready

I am encouraged as I am reminded again to trust God's leadership and I desire to allow Him to bring about the results He is looking for with an unoffended heart. "Come, have Your way, God."

Strangers & Pilgrims on the Earth

..living for the age to come..
How do I live TODAY for THAT day when Jesus will return? Do the moments and decisions of my days declare that I love Him and desire to stand before Him without shame when He comes? Do I live as a "stranger and pilgrim" in the earth? Do I love this life, this world, more than I long for and live for the one that is to come?

God's been rearranging much in my heart this year. I've been stunned to see how much the Bible speaks of living blameless and holy today, on this earth, in light of our permanent residence being in Jesus' coming kingdom (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 1:6-8; Ephesians 5:27; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23; 1 Timothy 6:11-14; Hebrews 12: 28,29; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 2 Peter 3:13-14; Revelation 3:4-5). I'm beginning to believe it really is true that the best this world has to offer, with every last one of it's pleasures, cannot compare to the glory we can know in the age to come.

Hebrews 11:13,16 These [fathers of the faith] all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth... But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

1 Chronicles 29:15 - For we are aliens [sojourners, temporary residents] and pilgrims [transients] before You, as were all our fathers; our days on earth are as a shadow...

This has been the overarching theme that has helped to guide my days since 2009 began and I wouldn't trade the fruit that has come within my heart for anything this world has to offer! To hear more, listen to my recent teaching entitled: "Strangers & Pilgrims ..living for the age to come.."

Coming Up Leaning

Leaning on some dear friends, Kerry, Nita, Angie, & Elizabeth - photo by Susan Shetler

Today's daily reading from Streams in the Desert is particularly significant to me in this season when I feel the need to be in a constant posture of leaning upon God even more consciously than ever.

Here's a brief excerpt from it:

Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?
- Song of Solomon 8:5

"Child of My love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the presence of your care;
I know your burden, child. I shaped it;
Balanced it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to your own strength,
For even as I laid it on, I said,
'I will be near, and while she leans on Me,
This burden will be Mine, not hers;
So will I keep My child within the circling arms
Of My Own love.' Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder that upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come:
You are not near enough. I would embrace your care;
So I might feel My child reclining on My breast.
You love Me, I know. So then do not doubt;
But loving Me, lean hard."
--L.B. Cowman