Breaking good habits

I'm back!  After 2 weeks of silence due to traveling around southeast Asia, and another week after that for recuperating, I am getting back into the swing of things.  I realized something really important during my writing interim....it's so easy to break good habits.  I had spent nearly 300 sequential days consistently reading my Bible, writing, and praying.  And then, after 2 weeks of silence, I hardly even thought about it.  I've had to force myself to sit down and read the Word.  It's been a struggle almost as fierce as what I experienced when I first started this journey of mine.

I understand now why the Lord has told us to be diligent in waiting for Him.  It's so easy to convince yourself that you can let your guard now, that you can slack off.  We tell ourselves, "It's just today - I'll read my Bible and pray again tomorrow.  Today I'm just too tired; I don't have time."  But then we make the same excuse tomorrow.  And the next day.  And the day after that.  And before you know it, months have gone by without you ever cracking your Bible or even saying hello to the One who made you.

I've always thought that the Master (Jesus) in Luke 12 asked for quite a lot out of His servants.  He went off for an indefinite amount of time, and his servants were expected to constantly be ready for him, just waiting for his return.  They had no idea when he would come back, so they had to live every day as if he was coming that day.  Have you ever thought about how tiring that must have been?  To live in a constant state of readiness and limbo, never knowing if your preparations would pay off that day or be postponed yet again.  It must have been exhausting and taxing.

But the reward that the master gives is more than we could ever imagine.  The story in Luke 12 goes on to say that, for those servants who waited for their master with expectation, the master will come back and serve them.  Can you imagine?  A master, dressed in simple clothing, sitting at his servants' feet and serving them.  It is unthinkable.  But it is true.  God asks for diligence from us for a few years; in return, He will give us rewards for eternity.  So be faithful to Him.  Don't break your good habits.  Expect Him every day...because one of these days, He will come back for you - or you will go to Him.  Make sure that you are ready for that day.

Luke 12:35-48

³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. ³⁸ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. ³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

 ⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

 ⁴² The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

   ⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. ⁴⁸ But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

He's crazy about you!

I've been reading a book by John Piper called "Don't waste your life."  The basic premise of the book is just that: that we were meant to live lives wholly committed to serving God, and anything other than that is a wasted life.  At Bible study last night, we were talking about chapter 4, which is entitled "Risk is right - better to lose your life than to waste it."  One thing that we talked about last night was how God often waits for us to take a leap of faith before He'll show us more of the puzzle of our lives.

While that is most certainly undeniably true, I think that God also will send us more if we truly need it.  He is not interested in tormenting us just for fun.  Throughout the entire Bible study, I couldn't stop thinking about the big looming risk in my life - I leave for South Korea in just a little over a week.  And I was simply overwhelmed by what God has given me to encourage me in my decision to go, before I've even gotten there.

I can easily think of a dozen instances off the top of my head that God orchestrated to calm my worries.  One woman that I didn't even know who had taught in South Korea for several years contacted me and asked if she could help because she read an article about me in the local paper.  I was invited to a dinner of the Korean-American Friendship Society because the founder of the society just happened to also be a member of the Board of Trustees at my school and he invited me after he found out about my plans.  The dinner with the family I mentioned on June 18.  Even at the Bible study itself last night, people kept sharing stories of how God had blessed them when they took risks for Him, and it was just so encouraging to hear stories of people "on the other side."

God knew how much I needed encouragement before I left.  And so He gave me just that.  But I wonder how often He sends us encouragement, but we miss it.  We write it off as coincidence, or not really applicable, or unimportant.  But take it from someone in the throes of one of the biggest changes that anyone will ever go through - God is taking care of you.  He's crazy about you!  He wants nothing more than to bless you beyond belief, encourage you in everything, and grow you daily.  Stay in His word, and listen for Him speaking to you.  Don't miss what He wants to tell you and show you.  You have no idea how much you may really be missing.  It's so worth it to pay a little more attention and hear what He has to say.

Luke 12:22-31

 ²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
   ²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

The name game

Goodness gracious, I'm so glad that God is bigger than I am.  Ever since I heard about my Fulbright scholarship, things seem to have been spinning out of control.  I've got to get a full medical examination and other forms to them within the next few weeks; I've got like 3 awards ceremonies to attend in the next week; the campus publicity office wants to do an article on me, and so they're trying to set up a time for an interview and a photo shoot; I've got another round of tests coming up, plus final presentations in almost every class; graduation rehearsal; certification exams; work; class; church; yada, yada, yada....  I feel like I've barely had time to breathe - and when I do breathe, it's only shallowly.

It's easy to get overwhelmed.  In fact, it's hard not to get overwhelmed.  So I thought that today I would write about some of the names of God that exemplify who He is and show us His character.  Studying God's names has always been one of my favorite Biblical topics, and always leaves me feeling reasted and peaceful.  I trust that God will not let me down this time :).

El Shaddai: God Almighty or the All-Sufficient One (Genesis 17:1). He is the Author of all good things; without Him what can we do?? But with Him, who can stand against us?? It's so easy to say, but so much more difficult to really believe.  Do we really believe that God is truly all we need? I know that I often have trouble believing that....

Our Shepherd: Psalm 23. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
One of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible!! There is sooo much to this chapter! Ohhh, I pray that I will always remember that He will always bring me to the safety of green pastures, even when I don't want to go and He must "make" me.

Jevovah Jireh: the Lord will Provide. I have a banner over my bed with these words on it. It serves as a constant reminder to put my trust where it belongs. "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" (Luke 12:25-26) Oh, how He wants to lavish His love on us!!! I have experienced such an overwhelming downpour of His favor this past week that it is difficult to digest. And, I can be content in the knowledge that it is not a dream; my Daddy really does love me that much; just like he extravagantly loves all His children.

Jevovah-Rophe: the Lord who Heals (Exodus 15:22-26). He is the great physician. And the great thing about this Healer is that He is not limited to healing our bodies. Bodies are not the only things that break in this life. Hearts can be shattered, souls can become embittered, and minds worn down. And our Lord, our Adonai, our Master, our Daddy, can heal them all.

Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord our Peace (Judges 6:24). He is our peace! He is MY peace. If my world seems to be going crazy and falling apart, I know that I can lean on the Creator of the world! He is the Master Weaver; when we know that He holds the threads of our life, we can rest in the knowledge that He is creating a beautiful tapestry.

Jehovah-Shammah: the Lord is There (Ezekiel 48:35). That name warrants repeating. He is THERE! When you feel lonely, or scared, or unnoticed....He sees you; He sees me! And He's CRAZY about you!  He will never leave us, nor forsake us. I am reminded of the poem "Footprints". It speaks of a man who dreamed of his life one night, seeing two sets of footprints (his and God's) walking through most of the scenes of his life. But through the most difficult times of his life, there was only one set of footprints. He asked God why God would leave him when things got tough, and this is what God said, "My, son, my precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you have seen only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

I thank God that He is a God of many names, and that all of them minister to me in different ways, so that I am made whole.  It gives me chills just thinking about it :).