God with me...

It is told that Billy Graham said if you are in a crowd yet feel lonely, it is God crooking His finger and saying, ‘Come here.’

I was alone for long stretches as a child. That feeling of being alone and the fear of being abandoned stuck with me until one day I read a book offering what to do about such fears. It said to go in a room by myself, consider the fear, and let it take over, all the while trusting God. At first I felt as if I would die because the fear was so intense. Then the presence of the Lord flooded the room. From that day, this fear is no longer an issue. Jesus defeated it.

The Word of God is filled with many statements and promises that affirm that experience. Before  Jesus was born, God said that the very name of His Son declares it: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:23) In that culture, names were considered as a child’s character, so the very essence of who Jesus is described as the wonder of God Himself being with us!

He is with us when we gather to worship and pray: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

Not only that, as I follow Him, He is with me and that will continue into eternity:

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:26)
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:3)

Jesus even prayed for my presence with Him, that I would see what He is like and that the Father loves Him: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)

Later, He affirmed to His apostle Paul that His presence would protect him: “For I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” (Acts 18:10)

This promise has been claimed by many and fulfilled as their lives are threatened. It is also an anchor as I do His will concerning making disciples and teaching them what God has taught me. To that, Jesus adds, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

PRAY: Jesus whether the threats are from the outside, or I am feeling no one cares or understands, or am overwhelmed with tasks or sad news, or anything else, I know that You are with me. Without You, I would easily give in or give up. We are getting ready to move, and at my age fatigue easily discourages me, but Your presence makes such a difference. You are guiding me in ways that ease the physical challenges, and giving me ideas that overcome all uncertainties. That You are with me even in this is so incredible. Your presence makes life not only bearable but possible. I am so thankful, so very thankful.

Home Invasion

Sometimes God’s people display amazing insights way before their time. Tozer died in 1963 so his devotional thoughts are decades old, yet today he says this:

“Our ‘vastly improved methods of communication’ of which the shortsighted boast so loudly, now enable a few men in strategic centers to feed into millions of minds alien thought stuff, ready-made and predigested. A little effortless assimilation of these borrowed ideas and the average man has done all the thinking he will or can do. This subtle brainwashing goes on day after day and year after year to the eternal injury of the populace . . . .”

One of our gifts yesterday was a device that when you say its name it will do what you ask, such as turn on the TV, give you a weather report, tell you how long to roast a turkey, and just about anything else. While it supposedly ‘tunes in’ when you call it, I cannot help but wonder if it is listening in all the time. (Part of my thinking is likely influenced by a movie we watched, “Snowden.”

Tozer also said that it used to be that a man’s home was his castle, a sure retreat to which he might return for quietness and solitude. What a far cry most homes are from that. Think of the place in our lives where electronic devices take over — smart phones, HD television, devices that serve as slaves, and the power of computers. I can go anywhere and find out just about anything at the touch of a few keys, or by saying just a few words.

So do we have solitude and a place where we can retire in privacy? Tozer suggests so, and I agree. One place where no one can ‘spy’ upon me is my prayer life. Oh, I do pray aloud, but I don’t have to. When I pray silently, only God can hear my words. Only God knows the deepest thoughts of my heart. Not only that, all these modern electronic devices might be able to turn on the lights, but they cannot forgive my sin and cleanse my heart . . .

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:1–7)

While the time I spend talking to God is most precious, that time is often threatened. I’m distracted and lured by email, text messages, and now a little device that offers to do whatever I tell it. God’s voice is like a whisper, not black and white words, and He does not immediately jump to do whatever I ask. But He does what no electronic thing-a-ma-jig can do — He knows what I think and He loves me with an everlasting love. He guards my life against temptation and sin, and He picks me up when I fall. He hugs me when I am struggling and laughs with me when my heart is filled with joy. He gives me peace that passes understanding and His mercy has no boundaries. Google and Amazon have tried, but they cannot replace the Lord with circuits and wires!

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Jesus, figuring out what to do with this gift is another of life’s challenges. Give us wisdom. Do we return it? Or do we learn how to keep it handy in some way that is helpful but does not invade our lives?

Being like Jesus means . . .

God’s plan is most humbling; He wants to transform me into the image of His Son. The more I understand of who Jesus is and what Jesus is like, the farther I see myself from that goal. However, that is a divine goal and the work of God. He will do it, but only the Holy Spirit can accomplish what is totally impossible for me.

He has taught me an important basic: I cannot run away from His plan . . .

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. (Isaiah 30:15–16)

I’ve tried the ‘swift steeds’ of my own efforts, mostly because I’m in a hurry for things to happen, but God is not in a rush. He teaches me that His timing is perfect and usually a surprise. Instead of fretting about the apparent slowness of God, I’m to let quietness and trust be my strength.

Tozer says that too much religious activity without inactivity and getting alone with God will result in failure. God wants me to wait on Him until I am fully charged with His Spirit. When that happens, my activity will amount to something because He has prepared me for it.

Thinking about God’s side of this plan, He is incredibly patient with me. He does not push or nag. Instead, He watches and protects me as I ride off on my horse, letting me find out the folly of my own efforts. His methods are much different from mine. I set a goal and a deadline and rush to get there ‘on time’ but stress myself out in the process.

If I am going to be like God, I need that same patience and ability to wait for others, to realize that the timing I want is usually much sooner than the timing of God. Learning to wait is a spiritual discipline that only comes through spending time alone with God in ceased activity. Part of this is keeping a regular quiet time and practicing the rest of a sabbath day each week. Another major factor is faith, faith that God is in control and I can trust Him, both to make things happen and to do it at the right time.

Tozer says, “You do not need to seek Him here or there, He is no further off than the door of your heart. There He stands lingering, waiting for whoever is ready to open and let Him in. You do not need to call to Him in the distance. He is waiting much more impatiently than you, for you to open to Him. He is longing for you a thousand times more urgently than you are for Him. It is instantaneous: the opening and the entering.”

This is another side of God. He is totally ready for my proper response to Him. When I finally quit running around, He is there. When I finally quit trying to make things happen, He is there. This means that if I am going to be like Him, my attitude of wanting something to happen can increase, but along with it, so does my readiness.

For example, I want a certain person to give her messed-up life to Christ. He alone can rescue her from her pain and anxiety. She acknowledges God but has some ‘swift horses’ that keep carrying her away from Him. The attitude of God is patience. Mine tends to be ‘give up — this is never going to happen’ and I have other things to pray about and do. However, to be like God, I need to be ready to do as He wants, even ready to be the answer to my own prayers — at all times and with instant obedience.

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Jesus, You walk close beside me at all times, even when I am running the other direction or acting like a jerk. You have incredible patience and never lose sight of Your goal. If my goal is the same as Yours, then I ought to have that same ‘be there’ grace and not lose sight or give up. This is a high calling, for which I need Your power and goodness to enable a Christlike response.

Note: I’d like to pay tribute to Billy Graham and praise God for the mighty way He used this man to build His kingdom. I never met this man but will miss him as will many others. Thank You Lord for giving Dr. Graham to this world and for speaking through him to reach the hearts of millions who are now Your children and my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Early morning priorities

. . . He leads me beside still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

This morning I changed my routine, partly because I am in holiday mode. I slept in, started a backup on my computer while getting dressed and let it run while having some breakfast. After that, the computer was still whirring so I prayed until it was done, then opened my devotional guide and read about the importance of a morning quiet time with God. It is not a legalistic ritual but preparation of my heart for the day and the day for my heart.

The illustration came from a shepherd who said when he led his sheep to a clean, quiet stream for a drink, they often stopped and drank from the polluted and muddy pools along the way. Yuck! While I was not relying on this morning’s stuff along the way in the same way I rely on God’s Word, I could see how doing so would affect me. Besides settling for less, one thing quickly leads to another and the clock keeps ticking until I look at it and say, “Where did the day go?”

In the wilderness days of Israel, God fed them with manna. This pictures the daily need for spiritual bread and has some interesting parallels. One of them was that they must gather it early in the day. “Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.” (Exodus 16:21)

I’ve noticed that when my quiet time with God gets delayed too long, I’m often frustrated and anxious. Melted is a good word. Part of that problem is because I missed it, and the other part is because I missed it! Inside me is this hunger for God. Without being fueled up, my spiritual life is out of tune and I feel out of sorts. He gives me more energy and a clearer head than I would otherwise have. However, God also blesses the day. When I spend time to hear His thoughts and gain His strength, problems are reduced, even more easily solved. Those things that are out of my control do not become frustrating issues. I change, but so does the day become bright and easier to deal with.

The psalmist writes, “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” (Psalm 5:3) I echo that. Sometimes a quiet time with God seems like a sacrifice, depending on the to-do list and on the weather. Sunshine beckons. But God wants me to give Him the best part of my time that I might watch Him and see what He will do.

As for the muddy pools, they might not seem like that, especially if God’s sheep have never experienced anything better. Some might have a “quiet time” reading the newspaper, having a second cup of coffee, or smoking a cigarette in a comfy chair on the patio. But a quiet time with God transforms His people as well as our day when we make that a priority, even when it seems a sacrifice. On the other hand, putting muddy pools first or using them as a replacement or substitute does not bring the same blessing. Israel found that out the hard way . . .

Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:11–13)

It took me longer than usual this morning to get here, and how like God to give me this warning to take care and not let anything change my glory (which is God Himself) into anything else, or try to use anything else to satisfy my thirsty soul.