Just As I Am

"Just as I am - though toss'd about, With many a conflict, many a doubt, Fightings and fears within, without, -O Lamb of God, I come! Just as I am - Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, -O Lamb of God, I come!" Just As I Am, Charlotte Elliott.

"At the age of 32, Charlotte Elliott suffered from a serious illness that left her disabled for the rest of her life. Then her lifelong spiritual mentor César Malan, a Swiss minister and hymnologist, counseled her to replace her rage and inner conflict with peace, and simple faith in God; from that day on, she turned her literary talents to writing hymns. One day when everyone in her family had gone to a church bazaar to raise funds for a charity school, Elliott was left alone, confined by her sickness, depressed with feelings of uselessness and loneliness.” Irene Ting-Ting Lai, Discipleship Ministries, United Methodist Church website. Her troubles of the previous night came with such force that she felt they must be met and conquered in the grace of God. It was at that point she recalled everything she understood about God’s initiative, pardon, promises and free love apart from who she was. She penned one of the most comforting and soothing hymns which has gotten lost in the shuffle of new music.

This morning as I listen to this hymn I am reminded that even in my worst condition I can come to Christ because He came for me. Even in your worst condition, you can come to Christ because you are completely covered. Just like Charlotte Elliott, we can come as we are in our rage and inner conflict. We can come as we are in our loneliness and feelings of uselessness. We can come as we are with our medical challenges because we will be healed one day for good. We can come just as we are because man does not define our value but the Lamb sacrificed for us to show us how valuable we are.

I pray that each of us will also consider the scandalous love of the Lamb, meeting any restless and taunting emotions head-on with that truth. Just because He is our Savior, we can be loved just as we are. 

Treasures of the Deep

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back [pile up] by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and they were divided…the children…went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” Exodus 14:21-22

Last year about this time, we were in the same predicament with an impending hurricane as we are this week. Thinking back I recall several things that completely blew my mind when we returned to see the effects. The first morning back, I walked to the pier as usual, but the complete landscape had been altered. The sand dunes were gone, and the beach had been flattened where dunes once stood. Sand had been pushed back and piled up all the way to the beginning of the pier creating a mound almost as tall as the pier. I couldn’t imagine the power of the wind that had blown and battered the shore creating that mound. The other thing that amazed me was the beach itself, now adorned with unseen treasures from the ocean floor.

As I think back on those times when the harsh winds blew into my life piling up suffering I understand that I was still in God’s hands. Just as He caused the sea to divide for safe travel through the seabed He made a way for me to walk through my seasons of suffering. He revealed beautiful treasures from that journey, things I could never have seen had the waters not parted. To me it seemed that just like the waters were walled in so was I. But God determined how long it would take for me to get to the other side and He provided dry land. I could have drowned in my misery, but He wouldn’t let me. He allowed the storm to hit, but I walked through it picking up the beautiful things of the deep I would never have possessed without the storm. When I emerged from my adversity the landscape of my life had indeed changed. Bad behavior and unlovely attitudes had been shifted to a new focus...focus on a better way to live...a better way to act...a better way to believe.

Whether you are fearful of the actual hurricane this week or fearful of another type of future, you can have complete confidence in God’s protection and blessings. Don’t shield your eyes during your journey because you just might miss the treasures of the deep that are yours and God’s alone... treasures for which you didn’t even know to search. Look for the beauty in your new landscape that God has formed and established just for you.

“Thus, says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it, the LORD is His name: Call to Me and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

The Storm-tracker

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." De 31:8

If you are on the East Coast most likely you have watched a little more TV and followed a little more social media in the past 48 hours. We live in a 24/7 news world where we are awaiting the news and anticipating the worst. With mandatory evacuation instructions for today, we decided to leave Folly Beach last night, due to Hurricane Florence who is doing her intimidating dance across the waters. Last night on the way home Bruce asked me if I remember knowing about approaching hurricanes as a child. Neither of us remembered anticipating things like these. In part it was because we didn’t have the means to receive the ‘drip-drip’ news, but rather woke up to the news once it occurred. It certainly is great to have the information of an impending storm, so we can fully prepare. However, I find myself immensely grateful this morning that the storms of life hold no power measured against our God. He has been charting oncoming storms since the beginning of time. His power dismantles…His power swells and churns…His power creates, and His power can still the waters with a breath.

One of the sweetest graces that God has given me over the course of my life has been my lack of knowledge of impending disasters. I call it the providence of God on the road to preparation. He is the only one who knows what make up ours storms, in which direction they will turn and the exact timing of when they will hit. He prepares our lives and our hearts to weather the storms, and if we heed the warnings of the Holy Spirit the impact will be less and the intensity more bearable. It blows my mind to see the different storms that He is charting for every one of us. He shields us from the majority of them, and my confidence is secure knowing that our storms march to His commands. The news would have us believe that Hurricane Florence is this atrocious monster who has the power over our future, but we know that Florence yields to God’s power and His future. She is just a bag of wind in the hands of an all-sovereign God whose very breath can remove, rebuild, restore and redeem any set of circumstances.

If you are in a storm wondering if the sun will ever shine again, take heart because God does His best work in the chaos of our lives. He tells the seasons where to go and how long to stay. He has the aerial view of everything that could possibly strike our lives, and He has personally gone before us, providing a way from underneath the crashing waves. Keep your eyes on the Storm-tracker instead of the storm and you will be protected and carried through all seasons. He is the Bread and Water where the shelves are never empty.

Standing Ovations

"But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand.” Acts 7:55

Tucked in the Book of Acts is this little gem that shouldn’t be looked over when reading through Acts. One of the earliest and greatest Christian martyrs once the church was established was Stephen. His enemies didn’t want to declare the truth of Christ Jesus’ resurrection and reign. But it did become truth…and Stephen was unapologetic about sharing the good news. Stephen was stoned to death but before he closed his eyes to this world something amazing happened that was recorded in the Bible. The Holy Spirit opened Stephens eyes, the sky unfolded like a beautiful scroll and an opening appeared. Stephen gazed right into heaven and what He saw is what I am sure my loved ones and your loved ones saw. As the heavenly curtain was pulled back there was King Jesus standing up in the honorable place beside God. I can just imagine Daddy as he shielded his eyes because the glory was so bright, adjusting his eyes to the golden hue. In the Bible there is another vision given to Isaiah. ‘I saw the Lord, high and exalted...and the train of his robe filled the temple.’ Isaiah 6:1.

While walking the other day, I was thinking about Stephen, Isaiah, Daddy and others who now walk with Jesus. I was picturing how Jesus was standing when Stephen saw Him. I wonder if Jesus was standing because He was giving Stephen a standing ovation. I imagine King Jesus stood up from His throne, turned to walk towards him while the train of His golden robe tumbled down into the skies falling upon the earth. We must remember that Stephen was still fully alive when God allowed Him to see the glory. Isaiah was still walking upon this earth when the vision became His to claim. Caught up in my imagination I glanced over my shoulder and saw my own vision of heaven…the sky was filled with gold that covered the horizon. Had Jesus just stood up from His throne to welcome another member in that heavenly family?

As children of God, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us to give us vision where we can experience God’s glory on earth. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, all the tough circumstances in which we find ourselves will pale in comparison to the knowledge that the Deity walks before us, behind and beside us. I will never forget that beautiful golden sky when the train of the King’s robe fell to the earth reminding me that His glory is always surrounding us.

Letter from God

My Dearest Child, the season in which you are presently experiencing is the season that I have made just for you. (Psalm 118:24) It will be full of joy and gladness for I am delighted to bring my plan into full fruition. I have been arranging all of these things so that this day, our day, can come in full abundance. (Romans 8:28)

I thought of you even before you were formed. I chose those beautiful eyes and infectious smile just for you. With my very own hands, I created you for specific things and made you unique from every other child of mine. (Jeremiah 1:5) No one but you and I even knew you existed at first, not even your mother. I assigned how many days you would walk this earth and serve my purposes for your life. (Psalm 139:16) I still see you as that little carefree child running after butterflies before you knew what darkness looked like. I watched people on earth hurt you and fail to love you in the manner I had planned. My heart was broken for you and I put into place a plan to bring you back to Me. I was there when you surrendered the darkness. I saw your pain that day and reminded you that I am your Father and you have the eternal position of being my child. In your pain I provided a way out for you through the love and constant care of your family. In your trust and resolve, you walked that plan out and received the love I sent for you. I have shown you many things about true love between a parent and a child.

I have had you face painful and frightful circumstances to bring you freedom from dependency on another. (Isaiah 61:1) I have allowed loss and grief so you would know my comfort and compassion to pass along to others in your life. (2 Co. 1:4) I have allowed injustices against you to teach you forgiveness which is always required in my plan. (Luke 6:37) I have closed the doors that led to nowhere and have opened the doors that provide the path to the desires of your heart as my will provides. (Psalm 37:4) I have placed certain people by your side to love you in the right way, the way I love my bride, the church. I have worked all of these circumstances together for you, despite evil’s attempt to take it all away, so that we are now standing at the dawn of the day that I have made. (Gen 50:20) This day that I have made is the day that you and I together will walk out the plan that I have had for you all along. A life set apart from the usual, a life full of love and blessings for the faithful walk you have demonstrated. As you know, life on earth will not always be perfect or easy, but I promise to continue to give you the only peace that comforts, my perfect peace in all circumstances, but you must seek it. (John 14:27) Even if you were the only one on earth, I loved you enough to allow my own son Jesus to die on your behalf. (John 3:16) You are that loved by me. As if that were not enough, I have surrounded you with relationships that demonstrate my undying and unconditional love for you. There are many more things I want to teach you so remember to spend time with Me. Life is extremely busy and time must be carved out for us to plan future dreams. There is still much left to do that I have planned for you and your future. They are wonderful plans and I cannot wait to tell you about them. (Jer. 29:11)

So my beautiful and faithful child, confidently walking out this season that I have made just for you. When Satan tries to lessen or cheapen this journey, do not give him the power. This is our greatest hour…where your dreams meet my fulfillment. We are standing on the holy ground of a fulfilled plan between a child and Father.

All my love!

Beyond the Waves

“The still inside the storm, the promise of the shore…beyond the barren place, beyond the ocean waves …My God will make a way, so I am not afraid.” Jesus Culture, Not Afraid

When our children were young we owned a pontoon boat, and frequently took the kids on a boat ride in the evening. One late afternoon we packed up and headed for the lake to take the boat out armed with snacks, drinks, suntan lotion and excitement. I still remember their little faces as they took turns sitting on Bruce’s lap helping him navigate. They would run between the ‘captain’ and the ‘crew’ as their hair wrapped across their faces as the wind blew through the galley. Bruce had navigated the boat to the furthest point of the lake when a horrible storm arose. Instantly, thunder boomed as lightning appeared to be a staircase from land to sky. Bruce told me to get the kids and take refuge in the little bathroom on the pontoon. I took Michael and Kristen (Caroline hadn’t been born) and snuggled up in the floor. I couldn’t see what was going on outside those walls, but I knew that Bruce had all abilities to safely guide us back to shore. I could hear the thunder and rain pelting the roof of the boat along with its swaying movement. Between urgent prayers on that bathroom floor and singing songs with the kids nervously, the boat was finally back in our slip and we had been brought to safety.

When I feel fear seeping into my mind and heart, I remember being on that floor hugging my children tightly. I remember that I felt deep gratitude that I had someone who loved me and was willing to put his life on the line to save me and our children. Just like I couldn’t see what was up ahead, we can’t see the dangers through which God navigates. The storms hit in each of us lives and we also live in the tension between fear of our future and singing praises of our past. There are so many circumstances that we are not even aware of that could have shipwrecked us. But when we place our confidence and trust in God, He shields us from the storm and places us in the eye where things are calm.

You may currently be in a storm living life between fear and praises, but God is in total control of your raging sea. You have the One who loves you most in charge of your present season. He will not be reckless with your life, and is navigating you through the waters of obstacles guiding you back to the shore. When we surround ourselves with God’s promises and the reminders of past faithfulness we will experience the storm in the still instead of the chaos.

Waiting for Day Seven

“‘Take up the ark of the covenant…Proceed, and march around the city…’ So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city…” Joshua 6:6-7, 11.

The story of the fall of Jericho is one of the strangest stories in the Bible.  What makes it so strange is it marks one of the greatest victories with some of the fewest actions.  The Lord impressed the importance to Joshua of simply walking in circles to bring about the triumph.  The ark of the covenant was the place where God’s spirit dwelled and would lead the people in their march.  Their part was to watch…God’s part was to act.  Their part was to follow…God’s part was to lead.  Their part was to walk in circles… God’s part was to walk in certainty.  And in God’s perfect plan and precision the seventh circle on the seventh day ‘it happened…the wall fell down flat.’ Joshua 6:20.

I don’t know about you but there are some things in my life that I have been marching around for too many years to count.  That mundane march around a set of circumstances that offer no view into the victory.  Maybe you are also circling around that same desire that seems to never materialize.   The futile things we try…the empty marches…only to find out it’s still not the seventh day…the wall still stands…still no victory.  The important element of this march is to remind our hearts that the Ark is up ahead.  He is in the front of our march and His view sees our beautiful future.  There are no obstructions to God’s view of what is up ahead, so why would we give up on the march? 

‘Always remember that God is at work on the other side of our obstacles, arranging the details and bringing His plans to fruition…The stage was set for conquest, yet by that point, Joshua had done nothing.  Sometimes we think we need to be involved in the solution, but God is not limited with regard to whom or what He can use to accomplish His will.’ Charles Stanley, Seeing Obstacles through God’s Eyes.

So, as you face another day…marching around the same walls…wondering if this will be the time it falls… take heart that God spoke another seventh day into existence and it was very good.  The same breath that formed the world is the same breath that will tear down the walls preventing the victories of our lives.  So, keep marching...keep believing...keep the faith.

‘Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good…And on the seventh day God ended His work…and rested.’ Ge 2:31-3:2.