Humble Revelations on May 2, 2012
Being here...almost 5 years later, in so many SIMILAR circumstances as the ones which surrounded the birth of Franklin, and finding myself at a point where I am deepening myself with the Father each morning in preparation for the day ahead, I realize a few things:
1. My life is about my relationship with God- nothing else. It is not about being in love or accumulating nice things or life circumstances, but about my relationship with God continually deepening so that it can bless Him and make Him famous, as was an original intention of the human being. My life is to accomplish things along the way, but His things and things for His purposes, not for purposes I concoct that serve my fleeting feelings or enjoyments.
2. Yesterday I posted about how God used Gideon, a weak man, and today I read in Judges 8 and see that after being of use, Gideon began to develop deep confidence, but not the right kind of confidence. He developed confidence in himself and not in the God who fueled him. He began to kill without being told to kill, and to act mercilessly. When the people asked him to be their king, he said only the Lord would be a king, but then he followed by taking gold from his spoils and making for himself an ephod that the text said all of Israel 'whored' after. He made himself costly ornaments, took many wives, and named him some Abimelech which means "My Father is King." The text says this all became a snare for him. He 'rejected' the title king with his lips out of 'devotion' to God, but it was all lip service. His life was devoted to himself. And at the end of his life, the people of Israel returned to worshiping Baal again which is ironic since we first meet Gideon when God has him tear down the Baal altars and asherah poles. About 5 years ago, I found that God used me and strengthened me, and I confess that I many times took that and then acted like Gideon...thinking of myself to be someone worthy and great. I thank Him that He brought about life circumstances to squash that out of me again...and I pray that 5 years from now, I won't have had to undergo another bout of life circumstances to squash out such pride and self-infatuation. I pray humility and brokenness can remain and that I can continue beginning each day clinging onto Him because I love Him. I don't want to live for me or get any praise for living. I just want Him.
3. We are blessed and chosen if we find ourselves living out our lives inside the 'nail prints' of Jesus' hands...battered and bruised, broken down, open-faced, and used. Some days we'll have to bleed; some days will cry, and every we have to die inside these nail prints, but if we want to live for Christ, we must live our lives out inside the nail prints. If we want to rise with Christ, first we must be crucified inside the nail printed scars of Jesus' hands....and in this place we will eventually find ourselves no longer fed upon our tears and exhaustion but fed upon sweet, sweet manna from heaven...invisible and un-explainable manna from heaven.
1. My life is about my relationship with God- nothing else. It is not about being in love or accumulating nice things or life circumstances, but about my relationship with God continually deepening so that it can bless Him and make Him famous, as was an original intention of the human being. My life is to accomplish things along the way, but His things and things for His purposes, not for purposes I concoct that serve my fleeting feelings or enjoyments.
2. Yesterday I posted about how God used Gideon, a weak man, and today I read in Judges 8 and see that after being of use, Gideon began to develop deep confidence, but not the right kind of confidence. He developed confidence in himself and not in the God who fueled him. He began to kill without being told to kill, and to act mercilessly. When the people asked him to be their king, he said only the Lord would be a king, but then he followed by taking gold from his spoils and making for himself an ephod that the text said all of Israel 'whored' after. He made himself costly ornaments, took many wives, and named him some Abimelech which means "My Father is King." The text says this all became a snare for him. He 'rejected' the title king with his lips out of 'devotion' to God, but it was all lip service. His life was devoted to himself. And at the end of his life, the people of Israel returned to worshiping Baal again which is ironic since we first meet Gideon when God has him tear down the Baal altars and asherah poles. About 5 years ago, I found that God used me and strengthened me, and I confess that I many times took that and then acted like Gideon...thinking of myself to be someone worthy and great. I thank Him that He brought about life circumstances to squash that out of me again...and I pray that 5 years from now, I won't have had to undergo another bout of life circumstances to squash out such pride and self-infatuation. I pray humility and brokenness can remain and that I can continue beginning each day clinging onto Him because I love Him. I don't want to live for me or get any praise for living. I just want Him.
3. We are blessed and chosen if we find ourselves living out our lives inside the 'nail prints' of Jesus' hands...battered and bruised, broken down, open-faced, and used. Some days we'll have to bleed; some days will cry, and every we have to die inside these nail prints, but if we want to live for Christ, we must live our lives out inside the nail prints. If we want to rise with Christ, first we must be crucified inside the nail printed scars of Jesus' hands....and in this place we will eventually find ourselves no longer fed upon our tears and exhaustion but fed upon sweet, sweet manna from heaven...invisible and un-explainable manna from heaven.
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