As the New Year Dawns || A Prayer

"Jesus, Redeemer and my One Inspirer,

Heat in my coldness, set my life aglow;

Break down my barriers; draw, yea, draw me nigher,

Thee would I know, whom it is life to know.

"Deepen me, rid me of the superficial,

From pale delusion set my spirit free;

All my interior being quick unravel;

Pluck forth each thread of insincerity.

"Thy vows are on me, O to serve Thee truly --

Love perfectly, in purity obey --

Burn, burn, O Fire; O Wind, now winnow throughly;

O Sword, awake against the flesh and slay.

"O that in me

Thou, my Lord, may see

Of the travail of Thy soul,

And be satisfied."

- Amy Carmichael

"Search me, O God, and know my heart:

try me and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting."

- Psalm 139:23-24

Reflections on the Will of God and the Christian Life

I suppose that most people, including myself, often think that they already know everything they need to know about these two phrases. They are popular buzzwords in Christianity, but they are the essence of Christian living and sanctification, so it is integral that we understand what they mean.

Today, as I was reading, pondering, and meditating, it struck me just how simple the will of God is...how uncomplicated the daily Christian walk is...how straightforward our relationship with our Heavenly Father is.

It really is.

In my analytical, type-A mind, I tend to complicate it all and make it so much loftier and harder than it actually is. I also tend to leave Christ Himself out of the equation and place the Christian life and the responsibility of the relationship all on my shoulders. When I leave everything up to me, I only get more discouraged, frustrated, and disturbed at my utter failures and inadequacies.

I can’t live the Christian life on my own. That much I know. Lately, the Lord has been gently reminding me how true this statement is and how desperately I need to simply turn my eyes on Him.

In her classic The God Of All Comfort, Hannah Whitall Smith writes, “The power for victory and endurance are to come from looking to Jesus and considering Him. When we look at ourselves, we see nothing but ourselves and our own weakness, poverty, and sin. We do not and cannot see the remedy and supply for these, and we are defeated.”

I don’t want to live a life of defeat and frustration. I want the victorious, abundant life that Christ offers.

The essence of the Christian life is so simple: placing my complete trust in my infinitely kind, caring Savior and showing my love for Him by implicit obedience to His will. His Spirit provides the strength as I yield to His work in my life.

Phillip Keller defines faith as “my personal, positive response to the Word of God, to the point where I act in quiet trust.” It is not a wishy-washy faith, but a trust that flings itself fully and wholly upon the One who cannot change, cannot fail, and cannot lie.

But we cannot trust One we do not know. Keller points out that our response is to the Word of God. When we read His Word, we learn Who our God is. We discover He is infinitely kind, merciful, faithful, powerful, sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, beautiful, good, and perfect love.

Hannah Whitall Smith writes, “The only road to Christlikeness is to behold His goodness and beauty. We grow like what we look at, and if we spend our lives looking at our hateful selves, we will become more and more hateful. Looking at self, we are more and more changed into the image of self. While on the contrary, if we spend our time letting our minds dwell on God’s goodness and love and trying to drink in His Spirit, the inevitable result will be that we will be changed into the image of the Lord.”

When we know Who our God is, we can trust Him completely and we will desire to do what He asks – what will please Him. Obedience cannot help but follow a true knowledge of God. “Love for Christ is a deliberate setting of the will to carry out His commands at any cost. It is the delight of accomplishing our Father’s highest purposes, no matter how challenging. The end result of such conduct is to bring sweet satisfaction to the Good Shepherd. Because of such single-minded service we sense His approval of our behavior. We know of a surety that we are loved and appreciated” (Phillip Keller, Lessons from a Sheep Dog). He reinforces this point again in a different chapter: “Our love for God is demonstrated in implicit obedience to His will, expressed in our loving cooperation with His commands.”

What does God command us to do? How do we know what His will for us is? We go back to the Scriptures to learn what He requires of us.

“‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your

heart and with all your soul and with all your mind

and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your

neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment

greater than these.”

 – Mark 12: 30-31

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable

unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not

conformed to the world: but be ye transformed by

 the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that

good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

– Romans 12:1-2

At a recent Bible conference I attended, one of the speakers pointed out the simplicity of the will of God and how plainly it is stated in Scripture. Below is his summary of the will of God and the corresponding verses:

 

§  Progress in sanctification: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour” (I Thessalonians 4:3).

 

§  Submission to the authority over you: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by Him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (I Peter 2:13-15).

 

§  Giving thanks: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thessalonians 5:18).

 

§  Stand strong in suffering: “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (I Peter 4:19).

If we are faithfully reading His Word, praying, and obeying these clear elements of His will for our lives, we can trust Him to faithfully guide us and further reveal His will to us. In other words, how could you expect God to show His will for something in your life – career, spouse, ministry – if you refuse to obey the parts of His will that are written out specifically in His Word?

 

One hymn writer summed up the Christian life in three simple words: trust and obey. When we walk by faith each day in humble obedience to His Word, we discover the secret of the abundant, victorious life Christ offers us freely in John 10:10.

 

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

But to trust and obey.

 – John Sammis

The Jewel // Little Things Part III

I always enjoy perusing a jeweler’s glass-encased cabinet full of glittering gemstones. Sapphires, rubies, emeralds, diamonds. They glitter and sparkle under the bright lights, drawing attention to their beauty. Their rarity and value make them treasured and sought-after possessions. 

My grandfather used to say that consistency is a jewel.

In modern society, consistency is indeed a jewel. It is exceedingly rare -- at least in the circles I frequent. To find someone who is actually consistent in thought and deed is like finally finding a diamond deep in the heart of an African mine. 

Think about it.

When was the last time you met someone who lived up to their word – someone you knew you could trust?

Do you regularly disregard what certain people say because you know they don’t mean it and their lives don’t reflect it?

Or, how often are Christians accused of hypocrisy?

Not surprisingly, the Internet has a great deal to do with the lack of inconsistency in modern times, simply because it offers its users a place to project any image they want. It is disheartening to read Christian blogs filled with spiritual encouragement and models of purity and then to stumble upon the author’s Twitter or Pinterest account and find endorsements of images, behaviors, and words that are far from the standards of Philippians 4:8. Another example is people who get zero channels on their television and claim to be free from the influence of modern television programming but have Netflix or Hulu accounts where they watch any show or movie they wish. And I am sure we have all run across those individuals who spout off wisdom and advice but seem to inevitably do the opposite of what they are encouraging us to do.

In the “olden days,” a man often only had his word of honor to offer another person as a guarantee. If he went against his word, then he garnered the reputation of being untrustworthy. In the legal realm, the underlying principle of contract law is that each party will hold to its part of the agreement. The parties of every contract enter under this obligation of good faith.

We have all probably had the proverb “actions speak louder than words” quoted at us from the time we could walk and talk. Do we really understand what it means or actually practice it in our daily lives?

One characteristic of my role models is consistency. I admire people whose lives are in harmony with what they believe and what they say. They abide by the principles of honesty and integrity in each facet of their lives. They respect each person they interact with, regardless of circumstance, race, creed, education, or religion. They don’t condemn a behavior in someone else and then go out and practice that behavior themselves. They confess when they have made a mistake and seek to rectify their wrongs. They are eager to learn and strive for something higher because they are discontent with mediocrity. They are the same person in their own home as they are out in public. They seek the good of the other person, endeavoring to live out Philippians 2:1-15 in all areas of life.

Image via Pinterest.

Our family is often on stage as part of our music ministry, and in many ways, what happens offstage before and after the concert is more important than the performance itself. Singing about Christ’s love onstage and then arguing or tearing each other down offstage is not only inconsistent but a poor witness for the Saviour we are representing. It is sobering to think about, and we strive to keep each other accountable in this way.

Image via Pinterest.

I find that I often begin evaluating an individual’s trustworthiness from the moment I first meet them. To me, trust is a mammoth part of any relationship. I have to have something concrete to build that relationship on. When I am getting to know someone who regularly says she’ll call me back and never does, is usually late when we get together, or rarely does what she says she will do, then it is not as easy for me to trust that person. Almost inadvertently, I find myself transferring their unreliability in such little things to bigger things, like whether or not I will trust them with a confidence.

(Now, mind you, none of this is to condemn anyone personally. We would all admit, deep down inside, that we have been inconsistent at some time or another.)

Someone once said, “What you are in public is your reputation, what you are in private is your character.” We often focus on how we will look to others in public and then “let everything go” when we are alone or in our private homes.

Image via Pinterest.

The problem is that both arenas are seen by One who matters far more than any other human could. God is all-knowing and everywhere at all time. 

He knows if you’re saying one thing and doing another. 

He knows the difference between genuinely caring for someone or simply using him or her to further your own ends. 

He knows when you claim to be doing ministry or service for Him but your motives are selfish and self-aggrandizing. 

He knows when you go to church on Sunday and then curse or gossip about your co-workers during the week. Both the Israelites and the Pharisees were rebuked for inconsistencies between their words or behaviors and the condition of their heart.

“Wherefore the Lord said, ‘Forasmuch as this people draw near Me

with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have

removed their heart far from Me.’”

 – Isaiah 29:13

“[Jesus] answered and said unto them, ‘Well hath Isaiah

prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people

honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.’”

 – Mark 7:6

Honesty and integrity stem not only from proper beliefs but also from consistency in thought, word, and deed. Not only do you know what the right course of action is, but you actually do it, regardless of who is watching. 

Image via Pinterest.

People will trust you if they know your words and actions will not and do not contradict each other. Cowboy wisdom says, “The best sermons are lived, not preached.” As a Christian, you are representing Christ to every single person you come in contact with, and you will either point them to Christ or push them away with the message you send.

Image via Pinterest.

(To see the rest of this series: Part I and Part II.)

Burn-Out

For the first month of my fall routine, I was up at 7:30 – awake and excited to greet the day. I worked out faithfully, alternating my cardio and weight routines. I eagerly anticipated classes and work. My daily schedule worked well and I was happy.

Then October started and, well, things began to slip. Daylight is shorter, nights are longer, and the winter looms over the horizon. I would skip a workout here and there or sleep in a bit longer than usual and be tired and unmotivated all day long. I started to dread each day, the regularity of the schedule and the fight to fit everything into each day. I got caught in dialogues with myself between what I should do and what I wanted to do.  I was unhappy with the way I was feeling. I wanted to be excited again – to get my zeal back.

I started to think about how we deal with burn-out, or, rather, how we should deal with it. I know people who are living burned-out year after year and just barely get by, and I don’t think that is how we are supposed to live as Christians.

To properly deal with burn-out, you have to change your perspective.

It starts with moderation. Make sure you are re-charging, physically (healthy diet and proper amount of sleep) and spiritually (spending time in Scripture). Type-A people want to do everything, be everything, and think everything – all in one day. That’s just not realistic. I am not superhuman.  If I was up late the night before and need the extra half hour of sleep, it is really okay for me to skip a workout or move it to a different time in the day.  Between X and Y on my planner, I can take five minutes for a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows or listen to the new worship song a friend sent me. I can be a disciplined high achiever but still take the time and effort to enjoy life as it passes me by. Take a minute now and listen to “Every Good Thing” by Karyn Williams and The Afters – same title, different songs.

Try to look at things at different way – in a more positive way. See each day as a fresh, new gift from the Lord. Regardless of what mistakes you made yesterday, you can start again tomorrow. His grace and mercies will be there, as abundant as ever. “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore will I hope in Him’” (Lamentations 3:22-34, ESV).

Be thankful for the many, many blessings the Lord has given you. “And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house” (Deuteronomy 26:11, ESV). “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV). Make a list of the things you are thankful for. You can start right with the verse in James: be thankful for a God that is always the same – yesterday, today, and forever. There isn’t even a shadow of change in Him. He is always our constant, our Rock, our refuge, our strength (Psalm 18). You don’t have to be thankful for everything, but you can be thankful in everything (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Next, make every moment count – make every step of your race matter. As Christians, we are all running the race of life. Each race is individual – you are your only competitor. The end goal is not the only important thing. You want to run and run well (I Corinthians 9:24-27). What we often forget is that we are living in eternity right now. Eternity, by definition, does not have a starting point, which means it doesn’t start when we die and go to heaven. It is right now, and what we do now will matter in the rest of eternity. So, lay aside the weights that are hindering you and ask the Lord to help you run well (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Life’s Street
– Amy Carmichael

As when in some fair mountain place

Beneath an open roof of sky,

Where almost see we face to face,

All but perceive Thy host sweep by,

We feel our sin and folly fade –

Intrusive things that cannot be –

Smitten by glory and afraid,

Condemned by such high company.

So let it be, Lord, when we know

The pressures of life’s crowded street,

The ceaseless murmur of its flow,

The mud that lies about our feet.

O lift our souls; from star to star

We would ascend, until we be

In heavenly places still, afar –

The while we walk life’s street with Thee.

Lastly, commit everything to the Lord in prayer. Prayer should be the rhythm of our daily life. It keeps us in close connection with our Lord and lifts our eyes from the seen to the unseen. There is nothing too small or too big to bring before the throne of grace. What a precious privilege and resource prayer can be in our lives.

If you are feeling burned out today, like everything is the same, there is never enough time, or you are always exhausted, take a moment to look up and ask the Lord for His grace and refreshment. You will never be disappointed.

Awake, My Soul, In Joyful Lays

Awake, my soul, in joyful lays,

And sing thy great Redeemer's praise;

He justly claims a song from me,

His loving-kindness, oh, how free!

Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,

His loving-kindness, oh, how free!

He saw me ruined by the fall,

Yet love me not-withstanding all;

He saved me from my lost estate,

His loving-kindness, oh, how great!

Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,

His loving-kindness, oh, how great!

Though numerous hosts of mighty foes,

Though earth and hell my way oppose,

He safely leads my soul along,

His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!

Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,

His loving-kindness, oh, how, strong!

When trouble, like a gloomy cloud,

Has gathered thick and thundered loud,

He near my soul has always stood,

His loving-kindness, oh, how good!

Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,

His loving-kindness, oh, how good!

Soon shall we mount and soar away

To the bright realms of endless day,

And sing, with rapture and surprise,

His loving-kindness, in the skies.

Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,

His loving-kindness, in the skies.

- Samuel Medley (1738-1799)

"Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life,

my lips shall praise Thee."

- Psalm 63:3

The Battle

I am a soldier.

I forgot that the other day. I found myself discouraged, beat-down, miserable, and, honestly, ready to give up as I asked, “Why is this so hard, Lord?”

Because you, me, and every other believer are engaged in a spiritual battle.

Every day. Right now. Here.

And it is fought in a very dark world.

Before I continue, I assure you that this was not news to me. I have had Ephesians 6:10-18 memorized for years. In fact, it was one of the first long passages I ever memorized. Somehow in my ordinary, comfortable American life, it slipped my mind until I found myself up against a wall, so to speak, and under attack.

We can forget that the world is a dark place that God has allowed to be temporarily under the rule of the evil one. Amy Carmichael talks about the tendency to think that the darkness is “merely a lesser light. Many books now say that it is so; but to read the New Testament is to breathe a different air” (Plowed Under, 61).

Our pastor recently preached on I Peter 5:8-9: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Satan is currently – present tense – walking to and fro (Job 1:7) as a roaring lion, looking for his prey. As our pastor pointed out, there are different stages in getting one’s prey. First the lion will stalk his target silently. Then, right before he pounces, he roars. “Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?” (Amos 3:4). The lion roars to terrify his prey so it will freeze it right in its tracks instead of fleeing.

From the beginning, Satan and his minions have been fighting, not only to keep blinders on those who are unsaved, but also to tear apart churches, families, and individuals. The accuser of the brethren and father of lies will do all he can to cause believers to doubt God and fall into sin, thereby nullifying their witness for Christ. If Satan can immobilize a believer, then he has accomplished his purpose. He does not want our lights to shine, people to hear the truth, or righteousness to have an impact. He does not want good to triumph over evil or justice to prevail over injustice.

One of Satan’s master tactics is camouflage. Darkness doesn’t always look like darkness. In modern America, the corporate world seems like a place to find success, wealth, and a name. The darkness is hidden behind the socializing, shopping, nice house, new car, and city life. It doesn’t seem as potent, like the idol worship and Satanic practices Amy Carmichael confronted in India or sex slavery in South America. We could all agree that the latter two are examples of real darkness, but we are often not so sure about the first. It just looks good. And there is nothing wrong with a good job and success, but Satan can use it to lull us into a life of pleasure, self-focus, and complacency.

I listened today to a recording of one of Elisabeth Elliot’s talks entitled “Confidence in God.” She said that as Christians, we do not need to fear evil, but rather confront it because “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). God is stronger than the devil and all his evil plans. And, in the end, God wins. The final outcome has already been determined, as Revelation vividly tells us.

But what about right now? The end is still yet to come. We’re still here fighting. 

First, we must be clothed in the armor of God and actively use our Sword of the Spirit – the powerful, piercing Word of God. Christ used the same weapon against the devil that He tells us to use: Scripture. Second, a key element of successful warfare is to know your enemy. We find several of the enemy’s tactics in Genesis 3, and he still uses them today. Put on your armor, be vigilant, and fight uncompromisingly, drawing on Christ for your strength. 

“Through God we shall do valiantly:

for He it is that shall tread down our enemies”

 – Psalm 60:12

As a follower of Christ, you are a soldier. You might say you were immediately drafted when you became a Christian. The battle is raging around you. Are you engaged? Are you guarding against attack? Or have you been caught sleeping on watch and become an easy victim?

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,

but against principalities, against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this world,

against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

 – Ephesians 6:12

Here was Amy’s advice to a young worker in their band of missionaries: “The fight to which we have been called is not an easy fight. We are touching the very center of the devil’s power and kingdom, and he hates us intensely and fights hard against us. We have no chance at all of winning in this fight unless we are disciplined soldiers, utterly out-and-out and uncompromising, and men and women of prayer” (Candles in the Dark, 17).

You will not be successful in battle if you don’t know how to use your sword or if you fail to communicate with your Commander in Chief. Are you reading His Word, meditating on it, and memorizing it so it is hidden in your heart when you need it? Are you spending time in prayer? If you are seeking Him through prayer and Scripture, He will be faithful to equip you for battle.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?”

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear:

though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”

 – Psalm 27:1, 3

It is in the battle that Christ shows us the might of His power.

“When the battle is joined, ‘the first result is a great exhibition of Satanic power.

Satan’s power to be manifested must be assaulted.

It is by what He conquers that Christ’s power is to be discovered.'”

 – Amy Carmichael

Not only does God use the battle to show us His power, but also to forge us into warriors for Him – Damascus steel, as Amy Carmichael calls it.

“The swords that made their way from India through Damascus into Europe,

and were then known as Damascus blades, were not wrought with ease

or in a day. Just because it was appointed for high uses, that metal was

plunged again and again into the furnace and beaten blow upon blow

till at last the fine Damascus steel was forged, so strong and yet so flexible

that (to quote Ivanhoe) Saladin could sever a gossamer veil thrown into

the air by drawing his scimitar across it. There was no easier way then to

forge and to temper that kind of steel, nor is there now, nor can ever be.”

 – Amy Carmichael, Plowed Under

God has a purpose for the heat of the battle. He will use it to mold us further into the image of His Son, so that in the end, we might come forth as gold.

If you are reading this tonight and are under attack from Satan, do not lose heart. Remain steadfast. Resist the devil. God is stronger – stronger than Satan, stronger than his attacks, stronger than the plans of evil men. Christ will be victorious. Justice will be served and Satan will be defeated. Greater and stronger is He that it is in us – He that makes us overcomers.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:

and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

 – I John 5:4

I think one of the reasons I forgot my position as a soldier is because the battle is invisible, but it is no less real than that which is seen. In fact, Satan would like us to think that, just because we cannot see the principalities and powers nor can we see God, they are less real than the physical world we perceive through the senses. It is simply not so.

“You cannot see the loving eyes of your Lord or see His hand stretched out to help you.

And yet you are trusted to go on just as if you saw. You are trusted to endure

as seeing Him who is invisible, your Redeemer, your Captain, and your Lord.

There is no life that is not at times hardly beset. We are not called to be

weaklings but warriors. So let no one be surprised when the enemy

comes in like a flood. There is not one word in the Bible to tell us to expect

to be overwhelmed, for the moment the enemy comes like a flood,

that very moment the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him (Isa. 59:19)

and makes us strong to endure as seeing Him who is invisible.”

 – Amy Carmichael, Candles in the Dark

Fight hard, fight well. God is with you. 

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

 

 

O Light that follow'st all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine’s glow its day
May brighter, fairer be.

 

 

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

 

 

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

- George Matheson

 

Here are two of my favorite arrangements of this beautiful hymn:

Chris Rice and Robbie Seay with Audrey Assad.

In Memory

As we remember the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and the men and women that died that day, take a moment to thank God for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line everyday 24/7 protecting you and your loved ones. Four hundred and eighteen of the lives lost that day were first responders who gave the ultimate sacrifice trying to rescue those in need. Please remember to thank your police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel for all they do.

"Courage is not the absence of fear,

but rather the judgment that something

else is more important than fear."

- Ambrose Redmoon


"A hero is someone who rises every morning

never knowing if he'll be returning home that night."

- Unknown


"Greater love has no one than this that he lay

down his life for his friends."

- John 15:13

 



The North Wind

The wind couldn’t make up its mind today.

 

All was calm when I woke up this morning. The lake had become a mirror, reflecting the grey sky and dark forest in vivid clarity. There was a soft mist brushing my face in the stillness as I went on my morning run.

 

At breakfast, there were small ripples in the water, the imprint of a barely detectable east wind. An east wind typically means rain, while south breezes are rare but warm and playfully swirl across the lake. When south breezes blow in the spring, they bring the hope of melting, thawing, and a coming out of hibernation.

 

As I peeled and sliced a kiwifruit for my lunch, the wind was noticeably coming from the west – a usually reliable indicator of good weather. By mid-afternoon, the wind had decided to blow vigorously from the north, transforming the water into a churning mass of white-tipped waves.

 

A north wind is unlike the other winds. It is cold and harsh. It only blows in the summer after a cold front has moved through. When it begins to blow in September, it heralds the arrival of fall, which will soon be followed by months of snow, ice, and bitter cold. Its powerful “whoosh” slaps the side of the house, bends the trees beneath its weight, and forces us inside with its foreboding coldness.

 

Yet the north wind and the cold of winter, however unpleasant, still don’t stop the people of the northland. They simply adapt. Coats come out of the closet, hats and gloves are pulled out of drawers, and boots are bathed with waterproofing spray. Everyone adds an extra fifteen minutes to departure time to clean off and warm up their cars.

 

Perhaps the reason most of us stick it out every winter is the hope of spring. It may be late some years, but spring never fails to come. We know that the snow will melt, the blizzards will stop, the rains will come, and the flowers will bloom again.

 

A dear sister of my heart is going through a winter period in her life right now. The winter is hard. Its cold chills the soul. The waiting is long. It has a way of shaking one’s confidence – in God and His promises. One wonders, “How long, Lord?”

 

When my leaves fall, wilt Thou encompass them?

The gold of autumn flown, the bare branch brown,

The brittle twig and stem,

The tired leaves dropping down –

Wilt Thou encompass that which men call dead?

I see the rain, the coldly smoth’ring snow;

My leaves, dispirited,

Lie very low.

So the heart questioneth, white winter near;

Till, jocund as the glorious voice of spring,

Cometh His “Do not fear,
But sing; rejoice and sing,

For sheltered by the coverlet of snow

Are secrets of delight, and there shall be

Uprising that shall show

All that through winter I prepared for thee.”

 – Amy Carmichael

 

God is there in our winters. He does not leave us alone in the cold wind. He comforts us, upholds us, and protects us as we hide under the shadow of His wings. The spring will come. Fresh, new growth and blossoms will come out of the barren, dry period. He will be victorious over the winter and He will be glorified.

 

“You were like a leafy bush, and many little things came to you for shelter.

You were not great or important, but you could help those little things.

And it was the joy of your life to help them. Now you cannot do anything

at all. Some desolation, illness, poverty or something that you cannot talk

about has overwhelmed you, and all your green leaves have gone. You are

like this bush with its bare twigs, no use to anyone – that is what you think.

 

When will the spring come? When will your bush be green with leaves again?

When will the little birds you love come back to you? I do not know.

Only I know that sun and snow are working together for good, and the day

will come when the very memory of helplessness to help and bareness

and poverty and loneliness will pass as a dream of the night,

and all that seemed lost will be restored. Now, in the multitude of the

sorrows that you have in your heart, let these comforts refresh your soul.

They will not fail you for He will not fail you who is the God of the sun and the snow.”

 – Amy Carmichael, Figures of the True

The north wind can be unrelenting and we can be disheartened. Everything may seem lost, out of our control, and helpless, but God has not left. He has not forgotten and He will never forsake. He looks down on us with infinite loving-kindness and asks us to simply trust. Trust that He is working in our winter, bringing us closer to Him, and stripping us of self. Trust that He is in control. Trust that His plans for us are to prosper. Trust that He is good, faithful, and perfect in love. Trust that even when everything has fallen to pieces, He is more than enough. Trust that His word is true and His promises sure.

 

“The spring will come again, for after winter there is always spring."

 – Amy Carmichael

Choosing Peace

Peace. 

A lake as still as glass, reflecting the beauty of the sun, sky, and trees. 

A beautiful meadow in morning light, shimmering with dew.

Time alone in a completely quiet, clean house with a cup of tea and a book.

How idyllic, restful, and wonderful. I want to sit by that lake, walk through that meadow, and be still in that house. I want to go searching for peace and when I find it, curl up and hide for a long time.

And yet, those images of peace are so elusive and unrealistic. My world is chaotic, busy, loud, and moving at a speed that sometimes makes me wonder if I’ll ever catch up. It is unpredictable and full of change. In short, it is often the antithesis of peace.

Scripture is full of beautiful promises of peace, but it seems that I rarely experience the power and rest of Christ’s peace. Maybe that is because I grasp for peace – try to find it myself or demand it on my own terms at the time I want it. When my efforts at experiencing peace fail, then I give up, dismiss peace as something that does not work in my world. It’s too hard to find, too hard to get, and too hard to keep.

Wise writers like Elisabeth Elliot, Lilias Trotter, and Amy Carmichael speak of quietness of heart. Throughout their writings, I see a strain of underlying peace. Peace with God, peace with who God created them to be, and peace with where He has placed them. In Thomas Chisholm’s beautiful hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, we find the lines “Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth.”

A peace that endures. Hmm. I’m thrilled if I can experience just five minutes of peace. My tired, anxious mind longs for the freedom of peace. What am I missing?

The still, small voice answers, “Me. You are missing Me.” 

Reading the next line of Chisholm’s hymn gives me the same answer: “Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.”

In her book Grace for the Good Girl, Emily Freeman writes, “Quiet time is a description of what happens when I am with God. Time can be a loud, chaotic, rushing-around companion. But as I sit in the presence of God, He quiets my time….There is great value, beauty, and rest to be found in spending time and being quiet with the Lord of the Universe” (149).

“The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.”

 – Numbers 6:26

It is Christ who gives peace. He offers it freely to me. I need only to receive it, not just during my time of devotions and prayer or the quiet moments of life, but throughout the busyness of my day.

“Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.”

 – Colossians 3:15

I need to let go and let God provide, work, renew, strengthen, and bless. I must abide in Him, soak in His Word, and accept His rest. It is a conscious choice on my part to say no to anxiety and yes to Christ. It means turning my focus upward, meditating on His Word, and keeping my mind on Him.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose

mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”

 – Isaiah 26:3

Trusting, receiving, and responding to Christ “doesn’t require an entire day of quiet reflection, although I wouldn’t turn it down. It is purposing in my heart not to fret. It is allowing the day to go as it will. It is holding up my plans with an open hand and a willing heart” (Grace for the Good Girl, 148).

Amy Carmichael wrote that in acceptance lies peace. This means acceptance both of peace itself and what God has ordained for our lives in each moment, each situation. Peace comes when I rest in who Christ is – faithful, loving, merciful, tender, all-powerful, sovereign, almighty. Elisabeth Elliot writes, “Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.”

This means that I can choose peace in the midst of chaos. 

I can have a quiet heart despite the frantic pace of my day or when everything seems to go wrong because I know He gives enough strength for each day and works all things together for good. 

I can experience Christ's peace when I am paged out for a 911 call and go driving ninety miles per hour down the highway in an ambulance with lights flashing and sirens wailing because my all-knowing God knows exactly what awaits me on scene.

I can rest peacefully in Christ during the times of waiting when I am unsure of the next step because I know He holds all things in His hands and promises to direct my path. 

“To remain in Him means both to sit with Him and to walk with Him, to literally let the peace of Christ reduce the noise of worry and the clatter of chaos so that we can receive truth” (Grace for the Good Girl, 149). If I let worry, anxiety, and fear steal my peace, then I have let Satan win. He does not want me to experience Christ’s peace, so he will do whatever he can to rob it.  Peace is found when I abide in Christ, regardless of my circumstances or where I am. His peace is always there, waiting for me to accept it.

“‘For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed;

but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall

the covenant of My peace be removed,’ saith the Lord

that hath mercy on thee.”

 – Isaiah 54:10

Resolution

Image via Pinterest.

My new cross-trainers pounded on the pavement. My lungs were burning in the forty-degree air and my legs felt like they were on fire.

There it was in front of me. The stop sign. My goal for the first day of training.

 

I didn’t think I could make it. The weeks of running inside on the treadmill during the arctic winter months helped somewhat, but training outside on the uneven ground and in the wind was a new experience. Each step brought me closer. I don’t think I can make it. Yes, I can make it. No, I can’t. Yes, I think I can. And so my thoughts went, in a manner reminiscent of the little engine that could.

 

I can. The possibility was there. I realized in that moment I definitely had the capability to reach that stop sign, but whether I was going to turn I can into I will was the question. The further I ran, the more I was tempted to stop short and give up. I had to resolve to reach my goal.

 

I can = possibility.

I will = resolution.

 

As the stop sign grew bigger in my line of vision, my thoughts continued to run at a similar pace. What about Philippians 4:13?

 

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

 

There it was again. I can.

Christ’s strength, His grace, and His power are all right there. Available. For me. 24/7.

“Ah, Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heaven

and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm,

and there is nothing too hard for Thee.

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh:

is there anything too hard for Me?”

 – Jeremiah 32:17, 27

Christ will strengthen me, but I have to let Him work through me. He does not force His power upon me.  I have to choose to do all things through Him. I am plugged in to His power source, but, like a conventional light switch, I have to flip the switch on to let the power flow.

Lord, please help me to accomplish what I set out to do today. Give me the strength and willpower to finish well. Help me to turn possibility into resolution.

I made it to that stop sign. By His grace, I resolved to achieve what I had set out to do and through His enabling I did. Is there something hard staring you in the face? A massive rocky mountain right in your path that shouts impossibility? A little bump in the road, but you are so weary that you fear it might be the straw that breaks your back?

“But be not Thou far from me, O Lord:

O my strength, haste Thee to help me.”

 – Psalm 22:19

 

Be determined. Be resolved. Don’t give up. Don’t get discouraged. Let Christ help you. He eagerly waits to bear your burdens for you. He wants to help. He will give you the strength to lay aside the weights and sin that so easily besets you and run your race well.

 

“The Lord will give strength unto His people

the Lord will bless His people with peace.”

 – Psalm 29:11