Where do thoughts come from?

Last night I had two totally unrealistic dreams. In one I was golfing with two balls tied together and scored no matter which one went in the cup. The other was at a funeral and the director was scolding me and my sister for not having flowers. He then described what each color and type of flower represented to prove his point. 

Now awake, I wonder where such nonsense comes from. My dad used to joke that dreams depended on what we ate for supper. Someone else told me that if you remember them, they have something to do with unresolved problems. I gave away my golf clubs a long time ago, and have never planned a funeral that left out flowers. Nor did I watch weird shows on television or read related books. Over-tired? Maybe.

Yesterday’s devotional reading was about knowing and deeply thinking about what God says. That does not fit either. However, Piper does quote verses like these:

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. (1 Corinthians 14:20)
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)
Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. (2 Timothy 2:7)

Piper says that the Lord gives wisdom about the things He says in His Word, but he also quotes this verse:

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

It makes me wonder if my silly dreams are included in “all things” being from Jesus. Could He be saying that the golf dream means I’m trying to play life with twice as much on my to-do list than is necessary? Or that I don’t add joyful thoughts (flowers) to the sad things of life? I must stretch my thinking to come up with metaphors like that. Even if they are accurate, the Lord is able to tell me so with greater clarity.

Piper does say that Jesus is the ground and goal of all thought, or at least He should be. It does not take a great deal of discernment to see that evil or childish thinking is not from Him. I could waste a lot of time and energy with such things as rehearsing how to get even with someone, or having imaginary conversations with people, or in worrying, or in being anxious about getting everything done for today. Far better to rest in God’s thoughts… 

PRAY: and to do that, Jesus, I need to spend time with You, reading and meditating on what You say, submitting to it with all my heart — and my mind. If those odd dreams were actual metaphors from You, then here are two things I need to think about:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4–9)

Jesus can untie the knots

This past couple of weeks I’ve had a knot in my stomach. It comes from reading how God will use those who determine not to listen to the demands of the old nature with its desires for comfort and protection. While my husband says “most people will not die healthy” that isn’t taken lightly. I know what happens when I obey God. The devil does not like it and tries to stop me, usually along the lines of being too tired to function.

This morning’s devotional was about the power of Jesus to satisfy our desires to be godly people right to the end. The writer used verses like these promises:

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)

Then added, “Our hunger and our thirst are all satisfied forever in Him.” Of course He keeps these promises, yet He also says,

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

My reading about praying Scripture and sticking with God’s commands tells me that all history shows that most who do persist make incredible sacrifices in the process. The enemy does not like that sort of commitment and works to put a stop to it by appealing to the human (and often sinful) desire for comfort. It sounds something like this: “Send me God, but not there…”

Age is also a factor. God has treated me well. I call myself His spoiled brat. Now I’m hearing that if I persist in obedience, that could change. I think of this prayer:

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. (Psalm 71:17–21)

Will He? I clicked on the cross reference and got this answer…

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. (Isaiah 46:3–4)

The knots persist, so that leaves me to confess my doubts and fears, to decide what to believe; the fears that put them there or the promise of God to carry me through whatever might be in my future, including all those knots.

PRAY: I will not fake this, Jesus. I’m not excited about the howl of wolves, especially knowing the nature of this sheep. I hear You saying something like “no matter what” and am not there yet. However, the message for today at our church contains this verse: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19) and You know what I need to get those knots untied.

LATER: Hear what I heard this morning. Knots are on the way out.

Faith is more than a fire-escape

In a recent conversation, a man talked about the people he works with, “They are religious, and they go to church every Sunday, even every Saturday too, but that does not match the way they live.”

Today’s devotional reading calls me to think about this again. The reading says that religion is not a fire-escape that you build in anticipation of a possible danger only to leave it outside the house until danger comes. The problem with doing this is that when a fire breaks out, that neglected escape route is not what you hoped. It is rusty and broken, weather-beaten and useless. This is a picture of those who build a surface appearance of faith for some future day they might need it, thinking that makes them safe. 

However, as the reading says, religion is not something to add on to our lives. Instead, it is the house in which we live, even the table where we sit, the fireside that warms us, the room that arches its familiar presence over us. It is our bed where we rest and think of the past, and anticipate the future, and become refreshed.

The difference between fire-escape faith and a faith that is lived in (and lived out) is hinted at in this verse used in the devotional reading…

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

Paul is talking about genuine believers who have understood the riches of glory, a mystery that was once unclear but has been revealed to them. This mystery is this: Christ lives in those who believe. He not only gives His people hope concerning glory, but He changes our lives, giving us power to make known or broadcast or reveal to others the reality of true faith. 

That is, unless Christ lives in me, no matter how ‘religious’ I may act, the glory of God is not revealed in my life or by my life. Without Him, I can do nothing. In Him and because of Him, my life says something about the sure promises of God and the hope of glory.

Imagine the difference made in the world because the disciples of Christ followed Him, doing what He told them and letting their faith be seen in every part of their lives. Here is a very short list.

Power over evil spirits and able to heal the sick. “And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. (Matthew 10:1) And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay” (Matthew 10:7–8).

Wisdom and endurance in opposition. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16) …and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:22–23) And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household (Matthew 10:36). 

Boldness to share Christ with others. “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. (Matthew 10:27) So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven…” (Matthew 10:32).

None of these are ‘Sunday only’ activities. They are part of life, which makes faith practical, not fanatical. It means letting the Christ who lives in me be seen wherever I am and in whatever I am doing. 

Actually, His life is so powerful that hiding it is impossible. Sadly, what can happen and often does, is claiming to have ‘religion’ without having Jesus.

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Oh God, the religious people of this world who have no relationship with You also have no hope of glory. This puzzles some, like that man we talked to this week. So many become disillusioned, not knowing the difference between those who claim to be Christian and those in whom You have made Your dwelling place. It would be easy to blame the ‘merely religious’ for this confusion, but Your Spirit tells me that genuine believers bear the greater responsibility. We are supposed to live like You have commanded, not making claims without backing them up. My faith is supposed to permeate all of life, starting in my heart, my home and radiating through every part, not for my sake but to reveal that great gift from You  --- the hope of glory!