Righteousness

I have been thinking a lot lately about righteouness. This is not a word that circulates widely our current culture.
Maybe that is a sign of the time in which we live. Maybe that is because we have a vague idea of what righteousness means, and are even less sure of the spelling. Maybe that is because righteousness and Jesus are so wholly intertwined, that our society rejects both.
Whatever the reason, it is the word of the month in my devotional time.
Jesus is righteous. God is righteous. I am sin-full. Depraved. Apart from
God and Jesus. Thankfully, I am covered, made righteous by the sacrifice Jesus made for me in giving up His life.
There is no merit, no reason, only that God is Love. How then shall I live, as one made righteous by the supreme sacrifice?
How will that shape my decisions? Even the mundane, endless, daily ones? What, exactly, does righteousness look like lived out?
Thankfully, we have the New Testament. Jesus. Righteouness alive.
I wish to say that I emulate Him more. That is my prayer.
"Everything is possible to those who believe. " Mark 9:23

Belief

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.

Simple words. Huge impact.

What does it mean to believe? Of all the perfect examples Jesus gave, this is the most poignant, the most impactful, the most beautiful... Jesus, who, from the beginning, was with God, was God, through Whom all things were made, enters in to the most difficult prayer of His (human) life, in a garden. With His friends. To pray to His Father. With Whom He is ONE. To remove the cup.
Not my will but Yours.

What an example. How can I excuse myself? There are no words to explain why I should not make time to communicate with God. Holy. True. Unattainable. Except by Jesus. My Saviour. My Example. My Redeemer. PRAYER. It is the only way to live, to be transformed, by the renewing of our minds.

Thank You, Lord.

Omnipresence

He. Is.
How comforting to know, to live out the reality that God is.
Yahweh.
The name His children dared not utter.
Amazed, I live out His reality. Suspending my agenda. Overruling my heart.
And yet, I sin. Jesus knows my heart. And so, the Lord's prayer...Our Father, who art in heaven...
Entreated by His disciples on how to pray, Jesus begins with "Daddy, ..." What child has not petitioned their father using, "Daddy"?
At the time, in the context; revolutionary. Now, in our context, can we grasp the significance? Daily. Really. Truly. Knowing. God as Daddy?
I struggle. To have faith and to derive comfort from that truth. I look to His faithfulness. Hope is not far away.



...

Patience

I wish to say that I am a patient person. The truth is far from that statement. Thankfully, patience is a learned skill. Every day, God teaches me a little more how to reflect His glory through patience. Over the years many people have commented, upon hearing that we homeschool, that they would never have the patience to homeschool their kids. To be polite, I laugh and say that I am learning. Really, we all have the choice to learn. Not just where homeschooling is concerned, although that is one forum that requires a more advanced pace. Patience affects every aspect of our lives. I think of the friend who has just discovered that she is expecting a baby...patience. I think of another friend who waits by the bedside of her 4 year old who has just had another major surgery....patience. I think of yet another friend who is mourning the loss of twins....patience. I think of an acquaintance that is not sure what her future holds financially....patience.
One of the beautiful facets of God is that He meets us. There is no place on the journey towards Christ-likeness that God is not willing to go to meet His children. Whether we are frustrated with our significant other, praying for our children, submitting the mundane details of our lives to our Sovereign God, and especially, when we rebel, deciding that we know better, He waits, lovingly directing, teaching, showing us the way with His faithful, patient nature.
On this journey, I am learning, among other virtues, that patience is key. Patience allows me to yield, when my selfish nature cries out, "No, you are wrong, I am right." Patience allows me to value others, instead of judging them instantly. Patience allows me to assess, instead of assume. Truly, patience is an extension of God's love, working out in my sinful self. It is, ultimately, our choice whether we choose to learn patience or to not. God is willing to teach, to lead by example, but we must be willing to have a teachable spirit. Paul, in his letter to the Galations, is very clear. "But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard-things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." (The Message) Patience is one way that God's love is manifested in my life. I am thankful to be learning.

Organize

This word inspires or terrifies. Recently, I have discovered a series on TV called "Extreme Hoarders". It is awful and facsinating to watch the physical and emotional distress the cases presented go through as they attempt to gain control over the stuff that has come to govern their lives. And yet, it is inspiring to think that something as simple as a call to 1-800-GOT-JUNK could change their lives forever. The show rarely ends with victory, and yet, still, I watch, hoping for that "Aha!" moment when the person will suddenly be struck with how much they are missing out on by keeping all the stuff. Stuff that keeps them from relationships with their significant other. Stuff that hurts their relationships with their kids. Stuff that suffocates their pets and turns their living environments into fire hazards, not to mention health hazards.

I wish to say that this problem does not affect me. A visit to our home would not reveal a physical hoarder. But when I examine my life, my spiritual life, it is fraught with hoarding. I hoard time for myself, instead of giving it first to God (Creator and Dispenser of time) and then to others. I hoard selfish ambition, instead of submitting to God (Sovereign over all) and relying on Him to direct my life. I hoard money, spending it on vanity and pleasure, instead of giving back to God (Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide) what He has blessed us with. I hoard friendships, spending time with people who make me feel good, instead of searching out those who are lonely and who need to be loved for Jesus' sake.

Thankfully, God knows. He understands and has provided a simple solution. Romans 12 begins with ..."So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." Simple. Our lives, an offering. Before a HOLY God. He provides the Intercessor, Jesus. He provides the transformation,inside out. All we do is RESPOND. And the victory is ours.

Thank You, Lord.

Peace.

Peace.

Unbelievable peace, even at such a time. As my precious mother-in-law is suffering, there is a sense of peace that God's sovereignty prevails. Although there are many layers to our lives at this stage, it behooves me to make lists in my head of items to be thankful for: my husband's constant support, my children's individual personalities, the comfort of our home, the success of our businesses, but most of all, the unfailing love of my Saviour.

Peace.