Anxiously Searching

“Assuming he [Jesus] was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey…When they did not find him, they…searched for him. After three days, they found him in the temple… ‘I have been anxiously searching for you.’” Luke 2:46, 48 b.

When I was growing up with my sisters, Daddy always had to be at church earlier than the rest of us. We always waited and rode with Mother on Sunday mornings. Once church let out, the four little girls scattered, and we each went our own way with our friends. Mother and Daddy would fellowship with the other members after church. I remember one time when I was left at church because one parent thought I was with the other parent. I believe this happened on more occasions than one. When they discovered I didn’t make it home one of them jumped in the car and found me in front of the church. But this was a benign oversight compared to poor Mary and Joseph.

I can’t imagine being the mother of Jesus and realizing after a day of traveling home that He had been left behind. The 3-day search must have put paralyzing fear in the hearts of Mary and Joseph. I wonder if Mary feared in her heart that she would never see her son again. I doubt she could think of very little other than their separation. By the time they found Jesus, I’m sure they were exhausted and relieved…irritated but grateful. Little did Mary know that the 3-day period of separation from Him would foreshadow another 3-day period of separation. How could she know that both would end in reconciliation? How could she know that the first time He was in the temple, but the second time He would become the Temple? When He was twelve, they sought out their son…when He was 33 Jesus sought out His mother. ‘Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.’ Matthew 28:9.

We too can feel reconciliation with Jesus when we have been separated from Him. He is seeking us out just like He sought out His mother. When we are experiencing our 3-day period of darkness that this fallen world has brought upon us, we can be guaranteed that Jesus will suddenly make Himself known to us. We must simply go to Him, kneel at His feet and worship Him. When we return to the Temple we will always find Jesus waiting for us and listening to our heart cries. When we are suffering and anxiously searching for relief, we can take that Christ is always there.

“He has risen from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you…you will see him” Matthew 28:7

Shortcut to Nowhere

“The devil led him up to a high place…and showed him all the kingdoms of the world… ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor…If you worship me, it will all be yours.’” Luke 4:5-7.

Yesterday I was searching my external hard drive for a folder I needed in preparation for a fundraiser I’m helping my daughter organize. I found the folder which houses every file I would need to accomplish this goal. Instead of opening each one to ensure its content I decided to drag the entire folder over to my desktop. After the command was complete I put away the hard drive and returned to the task at hand. Icon upon icon brought up empty shells of the files and displayed a message that it couldn’t be accessed because the shortcut wasn’t sufficient. I would have to return to the original source and patiently transfer the details of each file.

Satan has always dealt in shortcuts and he still does, fully understanding that humanity has an impatient and weak heart. While in the wilderness, he offered Jesus a shortcut to obtain what Jesus knew He would eventually have. Jesus proved Himself strong against the tempter as they stood on one of the highest points in the wilderness. Together they looked across the landscape and witnessed all the kingdoms over which to reign. At this point Jesus had fasted for 40 days, and I’m sure He was hungry, exhausted and lonely. Satan patiently waited until Jesus was at the point of His greatest needs, and then the shortcut was offered. But he underestimated the power and self-discipline of Jesus. He offered Jesus shortcut after shortcut, but He never gave in. ‘Jesus was offered counterfeit power in the present but persevered for the eternal power in the future.’ Looking for Lovely, p. 137.

Many times, what Satan offers is a shortcut to what God intends on giving us in the future when the time is right, and the blessings are the greatest. Satan waits until we are at our greatest point of need luring us to our highest dream as if dangling a diamond in front of our face. We must be like Jesus and resist the shortcuts. We must stand guard in God’s strength waiting for the real thing. Like my computer, any shortcuts we take in our faith will result in emptiness and failure. ‘There’s a healthy and beautiful victory after the waiting, but there are repeated counterfeit opportunities trying to tell us that the wait isn’t worth it, that what would be offered now is better than what will be gifted later.’ Looking for Lovely, p. 138. When you are experiencing your greatest need protect your heart and mind against anything that seems like an easy path. It just might be a shortcut to nowhere but heartache.

‘Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.’ Gal 6:9

And We Dance

“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him…For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” Psalm 149:3-4

Have you ever had a time when life was going so smoothly providing beautiful days of joy and laughter, only for something to unexpectedly crash in on you? Suddenly hope is dashed by discouragement and calm is replaced with chaos. Sometimes it could be something as devastating as the death of a love one. Other times it could be circumstances not that dire, but still leaving us feeling abandoned or disillusioned. I describe times like these when something or someone ‘cuts in on our dance.’ It matters not who or what takes our hand and redirects us to a different dance. What matters is that we allowed the situation to turn our back on the partner with whom we were born to dance… God our Father.

This past week I allowed something to cut in on my dance. I allowed a set of circumstances to walk right up on the dance floor, take my hand and lead me to another part of the floor. My emotions spun me around making me dizzy and hard to keep my balance. The music seemed not so beautiful, and the steps felt clumsy and forced. I tried to make sense out of the movement, but my mind and heart were distant from the Partner who normally leads. After a week of dancing to the wrong song I heard in the distance the song that was written just for me by the One whom I left alone on the dance floor. I broke free and humbly waltzed back to Him, and lovingly He straightened my crown, placed my hand back in His and we danced…

So I wonder this morning, has something cut in on your dance?  Has someone pulled you away from the Author of your story?  Whatever happens in your life don’t allow something or someone to cut in on your dance with God. He has orchestrated a beautiful story for the two of you that only you can dance out. There will always be circumstances around the edge of the dance floor waiting for you to take your eyes off Him. When tough circumstances crowd into your life pull God closer, hold His hand tighter, just let Him lead…and dance.

Walking With the Word

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness…” John 1:1-2, 14, 16

If someone asked me to tell them how I met my best friends or how I knew them I would begin with the day I first saw them as a teenager.  From there I would talk about what we said when we first spoke and what we experienced together over the course of our time of fellowship.

Many scholars believe that John was a teenager when he met Jesus.  They spent every day together from that point over the course of 3 years.  They shared joy and sadness, laughter and tears, miracles and moments of tenderness.  Many years after the death of John’s best friend, mentor and teacher, we can only assume that he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write his account of walking with Jesus.  He did not begin his writings with the day he met Jesus.  He began his writing by establishing the truth that Jesus was with God before the beginning of time, Jesus was God and Jesus was the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among man.  John clearly believed that Jesus was the complete and full Word in the flesh.  Once he established the fullness of the Word he began his account of spending time with Jesus.  As an old man looking back, John must have felt tenderness in his heart as he reminisced about walking alongside the Word. 

One incident was documented in Luke that shows how courageous Jesus had to be.  Jesus was among his own people in his own town when He stated that He was the fulfillment of the Son of God sent to save humanity.  ‘All the people…were furious…and drove him out…and took him to the brow of the hill…to throw him off the cliff.  But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.’ Luke 4:29-30. 

It struck me this morning that not much has changed in our time on the spiritual calendar.  There are times in each of our lives when we have driven the Word to the edge of our desires to avoid conviction.  There are certain parts of the Word that our society wishes to throw off the cliff pretending it never existed.  But they were unable to throw the Word off the cliff, and we are unable to dismiss the Word.  He stood on the truth of God’s message then, and the Word still stands on the truth of God’s message now.  He walked out truth in the fullness of God and we can also walk out His fullness when we have a living relationship with Him. 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

From Screens to Rivers

“On the Sabbath day we went outside by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond…” Acts 16:13-14

I live in a community that use to be pure farmland. If I needed gas I knew I had better fill my tank before I came home unless I wanted to pay big bucks at the one place in our community. There were one or two grocery stores that constantly ran out of things because it served the entire community. There were unlit roads at night with trees standing thick at attention along the sides of the dark two-lane streets. Our most challenging traffic problems were dodging deer, helping a neighbor when their cows got loose, or removing a fallen tree off a road. The few restaurants that were out here would fill up on Sundays as the churches let out. It was truly a slow and relaxing time in our community. Fast forward to today and you will see a bustling part of Charlotte with bumper to bumper traffic all the time, and roads that now resemble race tracks. People don’t stop to talk to people, driver’s displaying road rage and trying to avoid pedestrians as they walk in front of cars reading their phones. Church bells have been replace with honking car horns with impatient drivers. I'm certain our community looks the same as most communities now.

What I love about Lydia is that she was an entrepreneur and was one in a man’s world at that. She probably had to work twice as long, and twice as hard to get a fair shake at succeeding in her business. And yet, she took the time to carve the Sabbath out of her busy and hectic life. She gathered with a group of women during the time that God instructed all people to do, making the Sabbath set apart. It wasn’t just an hour on Sundays, but it began on Friday evenings and went through Saturday evenings. Can you even imagine us cutting our phones off for 24 hours…shutting our computers down for a full day and spending time with our loved ones…taking those hours that God has instructed us to take and giving them back to Him. I know it seems impossible to set aside a full 24 hours, but I believe in our culture we can still take time with God throughout our day. He has gifted us with every hour and each breath that we take. Scripture states that during this time Lydia gave to the Lord, He opened her heart.

When the Lord opens a person’s heart it means that He has some things that need to be revealed…some love and encouragement that He desires to show…guidance for a decision that needs to be made. Lydia lived her life intentionally and understood the value of faith, family and friends. Most likely her success was due to the priorities she placed daily in her life. Even on our busiest day or our crowded surroundings, there will always be time to ‘go down by the river and find a place of prayer.’ It won’t happen by accident though, so we must be diligent in carving the time and space out just like Lydia did.

And who knows? The Lord just might open our heart and tell us what we have been waiting to hear for years.

A Fickle King

“The young woman who pleases the king will become queen instead of Vashti…The young woman pleased him and gained his favor…Esther gained favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her…He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. The king held a great banquet…It was Esther’s banquet.” Esther 2:4-17

A few days ago, I went to visit one of my best friends. While there her husband asked me to name a few of my all-time favorite movies. Two films immediately came to mind and I enjoyed thinking about their plot and story line. The next morning my Bible study led me to the book of Esther. I can tell you that for me the story of Esther certainly is one of my all-time top two stories in the Bible. It has the making of a true fairy tale, although it is a documented historical event with lots of twists and turns.

The story opens informing us that the first queen fell from the king’s grace, and she was eventually set aside. Young Esther was part of a group of women brought to the palace to prepare themselves to ‘audition’ to be the next queen. Esther was orphaned very young due to the death of her parents. Her uncle eventually adopted her and raised her like his own. I can’t even imagine how scary it was for her to be among all the other beautiful women competing for the king’s favor. I’m sure young Esther was insecure …anxious …dreading her appearance before the king. She followed the direction of her counsel and was eventually chosen to reign with him. Through a string of events outside of her control, an edict was sent out to destroy her own people, the Jews. Her uncle Mordecai pleaded with her to go to the king and be the voice for those who have no voice. Her fear and anxiety returned, and she told her uncle that the king had not sent for her in a month. Day after day she waited for some mention of her name from the king – but she heard nothing but silence. Had he already forgotten her? Had he already turned to another in favor and pursuit? The law stated that if anyone approached the king without an invitation, he had the power to accept them or dismiss them. A dismissal could mean death to that person. And then we hear one of the most beautiful exhortations from her uncle in Scripture. ‘If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come from another place…Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.’ Esther 4:14. So she risks her life, steps out in courage to be a voice for those who had no voice, and she saved a nation despite a fickle king.

I am so grateful that we don’t serve a fickle king. When He chooses us to be in His royal family it is for both this life and eternity. He summons us by name…showers us with His favor…places a crown upon our head…prepares banquets of blessings for us. He never sets us aside, and we will never lose our royal standing with Him. He gives us courage to step out and to join Him in caring for others who are suffering or no longer have a voice. Our part is to be our best version of whom He created, and like Esther to use our influence for the benefit of others. ‘Esther was called upon to do something really hard she didn’t want to do to begin with. She was thrown into a situation that brought fear, insecurity and pain, but her courage exuded from her. Something was built in her character, in her heart. She had the power of the queen, the influence of a royal, and the strong heart of someone with influence.’ Looking for Lovely, p. 113.

She had the same thing that each of us have the opportunity to be, but we don’t have to wait around for the King to invite us. We have a permanent place in Him, beside Him and with Him in a kingdom that never ends.

From Beneath the Tapestry

“The whole crowd…burst into enthusiastic praise… Luke 19:37

As Jesus rode a donkey into the town of Jerusalem a large crowd gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across the road, giving Jesus royal treatment. By carpeting Jesus’s path with clothing and palm fronds, the multitude honored Jesus and showed their acceptance of Him as their king. Can’t you just feel the anticipation and excitement of the crowd on Palm Sunday? No doubt, the people had gotten up early and made their way to the perfect spot where they would be able to witness the King. I’ll bet they were straining to see the first view of Him, probably standing on their tip toes. Finally, they would see Him, and the crowd most likely cheered as He made His way down the path. But, in the midst of the praise of the moment, He knew in His heart that it wouldn't be long that these same people would turn their backs on Him, betray Him, and crucify Him. And yet He rode…The people thought there would be a throne at the end of the path, but there was a cross. They thought He would reign but instead He was removed.

Before the end of the week He would trade His triumphal entry atop a donkey for His anguish and despair on His knees in the garden. ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death…’ Mark 13:44 ‘Father…take this cup away from me – nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently...’ Luke 22:42-44

While no one’s experience will ever come close to the one described above everyone will experience shock and anguish in some area of their life. How many times have we gotten a phone call that changed the trajectory of our lives? How many times did Monday appear joyful, only to be replaced by heartache the following Monday? Jesus can fully relate to our suffering, and our pleas for delivery. He too asked God to take away His despair. He too begged God to accomplish His will in a different way. But God knew that the journey was not in vain…God knew that while Jesus would be buried in shame, Christ would be raised in glory. And just like with Jesus, He has a reason for our suffering which will be revealed when the purpose has been fulfilled. I read a beautiful description of our life as a tapestry. While God sees the beautiful and completed top of the tapestry, we are seeing it from beneath with all its knotted chaos and loose strings. From below, the tapestry is anything but beautiful.

Sometimes God places in motion a string of events that seem like we are riding into town in glory only to be replaced with bruised knees in the garden. Just like Jesus, we must continue to ride down our path knowing the strengthening of our soul will be administered by angels. Remember, the humiliating and despairing journey to the cross wasn’t the end of His story and neither will it be the end of ours. Even when we don't feel like it we must continue to linger in the garden in fellowship and prayer with the One who is weaving our stories into beauty and redemption.

“Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.” 1 Co 15:43