A Known Heart

As a child did you ever break something by accident and try to hide the evidence to avoid getting into trouble? I did. I broke a drinking glass. I watched it as if caught in a bubble of slow motion. It slipped out of my little fingers, turned elegantly in the air, and shattered on the floor.

I have no idea how long I stood there and stared at the broken pieces at my feet. There was nothing I could do to fix the damage. The discovery of the crime was inevitable. The fear, the guilt, the certainty of doom, all clouded my thoughts. Of all the things I could have done, I picked the stupidest: I remember trying to stuff broken glass down the drain. I was, of course, caught. And I did, of course, get into deep trouble – not because I broke the glass, but because I tried to hide it.

God loves us so much more, and He is eager to forgive us when we make mistakes, so why do we continue to hide things from Him? Why do we carry the guilt and fear when we could easily give it all over to Him? We need forgiveness and God will give it, but we have to come forward and ask Him for it.

Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV) is a prayer that can help us do this:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

By saying this prayer with an honest heart, we begin to put an end to our childish responses. It will begin a maturity in our spiritual lives as we learn to trust His will, His power, and His love for us. It will help us to open our souls to God and allow him in. Through God’s guidance, our desire to change will build and our need to leave behind old habits will grow.

Our Lord knows what we bury deep within our hearts. His love surrounds us. When we truly understand this we will become more able to accept his guidance. We will know that our Lord has forgiven us. We will know that he is not towering over us in judgement, but instead protecting us from evil. There is no hiding, there is only God’s love.

Did you ever try to hide anything as a child in an attempt to escape getting into trouble?

Walking on Water

The story of Jesus waking on water has always captured my heart. It’s an amazing miracle that sets Jesus apart from us. But the thing is, He isn’t apart from us. His power is with us always.

Many forget that Peter stepped out of the boat as well. He too walked on water, however brief. The only thing that stopped him was his fear and doubt.

What I love best about this story was that Jesus didn’t hesitate to save Peter from drowning. The scripture says, “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” (Matthew 14:31 NIV)

Immediately.

Jesus didn’t wait to watch Peter splash about or gulp in gallons of water. Jesus didn’t punish him for his failure or lack of faith. Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

This is what Jesus does for us every day. He reaches out his hand. He will catch us when we need to be caught. He will carry us when we need to be carried. Yes, through Jesus’ power we too can walk on water, but we are no less loved if we can’t. So there is no reason to hold back. There's no reason to be afraid.

Have you recently held back because of fear or doubt?

Embrace Your Powerlessness

None of us like the idea of being powerless. It’s a difficult thing to accept because we’re told throughout our lives that we are masters of our own destiny. We’re told we must be in control. And so we try to control our lives; we sometimes even try to control other people’s lives. We take on the world with the conviction that we have the power to at least control our corner of it. But in truth we don’t and we can’t.

No matter what we do we can’t control the weather, we can’t control the passage of time, we can’t choose our family, we can’t pick the gift or abilities we are graced with and we have no idea what’s around the next corner. We are powerless to the drunken driver, the debilitating sickness, the unexpected tragedy.

And so I ask, wouldn’t it be better to hand all control over to the One who does have the power? Wouldn’t it be better to allow God to rule you, rather than your schedules, your jobs, your financial situations? After all, God knows you better than you know yourself and He cares what happens to you. He knows everything. He has already saved your eternal soul, so why not let Him save your life on earth as well? You have nothing to fear when He is in control.

Embrace your powerlessness. Accept it. Revel in it. Praise the Lord for it. Because He is the one with the power and He knows how to use it.

Can or Can’t?

You’re too young! You’re too old! You aren’t skilled enough. You wouldn’t understand. You don’t have the resources. You don’t have the experience. You don’t have the qualifications. We’ve all heard some variation of, “You can’t!” But what do you do with those words? Do you let them sink in and allow them to stop you from your goals? Or do you ignore them and turn to God for support and affirmation?

David heard those words when he offered to face Goliath. His brother gave him a hard time about it and the very king of all Israel doubted David’s ability to face the giant. “You are too young,” King Saul said to him. (1 Sam 17:33). But these words didn’t stop David. He instead held onto his confidence in God. Because of his faith, he went on to become one of the greatest kings in history.

No matter what we do, someone will oppose us, someone will tell us we can’t, someone will share their doubts about us. But it’s what we do with the words that will make a difference to our lives because it’s all about where we put our faith. Do we trust what people have to say? Or do we trust God’s voice?

What do you do when you hear criticism and doubt?

Being Led

When I was young I used to have big plans about all the things I was going to do with my life. I was going to be a great artist, a world traveller, a famous writer, an adventurer, a movie star, an animator, a dancer, a singer and I was never going to get married. Some things came to pass, others did not, and there are still others yet to come.

Did I plan even half the things that happened in my life? No. God had better plans for me. I am married to the most wonderful man in the world. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better man. He is good for me in ways I could never have written on a shopping list for the “perfect man”. He taught me to trust, and to love, and to be myself.

I never dreamed I would end up leading youth groups or fellowships, or even the elders of the church. But I did. I never dreamed I would grow such a passion for my Lord. But I did.

He leads me in ways that are both scary and exciting. He takes me down roads I would never have walked on my own. He carried me through darkness and safely delivered me into His Light.

I can’t imagine what tomorrow will bring, but knowing my hand rests in His, I will gladly walk with Him wherever He will lead me.

Where has the Lord led you?

Not Your Own Understanding

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

A few years ago I considered going to Bible College. What I didn’t expect was the number of doors that closed in front of me. God’s message was very clear. He said, “No.”

I was so surprised. Surely He wanted me to learn as much as I could about Him and His word. Bible College seemed like the obvious answer.

I still don’t know why I wasn’t meant to go. I can speculate. It would have led me into a different direction for my life.

But often what we think is right for our lives may not be right. There is so much we don’t know, can’t know. God, however, knows everything. He knows what is best. He will show us the right way, the best way.

All He asks is that we trust Him.

Wallpaper of the Week – Isaiah 41:13

Our Lord does hold onto us, He does protect us.

Our Lord reassures us that we don't need to fear.

He promises He will help us.

We can accept His hand 

because we can trust Him.

We can accept His protect

because He does not lie.

We can accept His help

because He loves us,

And he will ensure

no harm comes to us.

Wallpaper of the Week – John 15:5

A few years ago a need arose in my church for someone to run a service, including giving the sermon. I had never done anything like it. I was shy, I stumbled over my words, I blushed and I was just not into the public speaking thing. It was an impossible task.

Jesus asked the disciples to find food to feed thousands of people. It wasn’t like they could pop down to the local shops and buy supplies. They didn’t have enough food, they didn’t have enough money, and they didn’t have enough time to mess around because the people were hungry now. It was an impossible task.

But nothing is impossible with God.

I put pen to paper and then God gave me the words. God gave me the courage to stand in front of the entire congregation. It wasn’t my strength or my steady voice. That was all God. I only listened, trusted and obeyed.

The disciples listened to Jesus and obeyed him. They found a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. It was Jesus who did the impossible and made the food plentiful enough to go around.

God doesn’t ask us to do the impossible, He asks us to listen, trust, and obey.

On Lying

Lying is bad, right? It’s a sin because it’s a deception and it breaks trust. But is all lying bad?

We lie to build people up. When a friend asks if they look good, then our reply is generally yes. It’s only cruel to point out they are looking a little tired. It’s only mean to highlight their weight gain. It’s insensitive to suggest they would benefit from visiting a hairdresser they can’t afford. All those things are irrelevant anyway. And so we lie.

We lie to preserve the peace. A friend of mine claimed she paid only $200 for a ring. I was with her when she bought it and so I knew it cost her triple the amount. She needed me to agree with her. I knew an argument would follow if I reminded her of the truth, so I claimed I couldn’t remember. It was an easy way out.

We lie to protect our loved ones. We lie to protect ourselves. We lie to save someone’s feelings. We lie to support our friends. We lie to cover embarrassment.

It’s easy to justify lying. But it doesn’t make it right. These white lies are part of the “little” sins I spoke of yesterday.

God will never lie to us. We can completely trust Him 100% of the time. God doesn’t have moods to pander to. He doesn’t need to make himself look better than He is and He is able to protect us without deception.

There are ways of saving someone’s feelings, protecting someone’s safety, avoiding arguments without lying and without being so brutally honest that we end up hurting someone.

When Jesus said, “everyone who sins is a slave to sin,” he wasn’t lying. (John 8:34)

So, walk away from the chains Jesus broke and strive to be more like him.

Bargaining with God

One of my favourite movies of all time is Ladyhawke which was made in 1985. In the opening scene Phillipe Gaston (played by Matthew Broderick) is attempting to escape the dungeons of Aquila. He makes a bargain with God. If God rescues him, then he swears to never pick another pocket as long as he lives. God does get him out and the first thing that Phillipe does with his freedom is to pick another pocket. He says to God, “I know I promised, Lord, never again. But I also know, that you know, what a weak-willed person I am.”

The audience generally laughs at this point. We’ve all been there. We make a bargain with God and try to coax him into giving us the things we want. Then we don’t fulfil our end of the deal.

A small village in Bavaria, Germany, struck a bargain with God in 1633. The village of Oberammergau vowed to put on a play about Jesus every 10 years if God rid them of the plague. They have kept their promise for almost 400 years now. Their faith and dedication can be commended. But does this make it ok then to make a bargain with God?

I say no. God can’t be bargained with. We can’t flatter Him into anything. We can’t influence Him. We can’t make compromises with Him. We can’t buy God’s favour with good deeds or right behaviour. And we can’t earn a place in God’s household.

Honour God. Thank Him. Rejoice in His name. Trust His guidance. Do the best that you can every moment of your life. But don’t try to bargain with Him. God is so much greater than that.

What might be the things that lead you to attempt to make bargains with God?

God’s Peace

In this crazy world of fears, anxieties, distractions, can we really trust that God will give us peace?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)

Not only does He promise to give us rest for our souls, but we can trust Him to do this…

Because He created us -

He made us in His image.

Because He knows us –

He is omniscient.

He knows exactly what we need

when we need it.

Because He loves us –

God is love.

Because He is truth –

This is the immutable character of God

Because He is able –

Nothing will keep us from our Lord.

What are some of the things you do to remind yourself that you can rest in God’s Peace?

True Love

After last Monday’s post about my mum I thought I’d continue the theme of the people who influence our lives. Today I’m going to talk about my husband.

He is a serious man who comes across as aloof and unattainable by anyone who doesn’t know him. For a long while he was just a friend in a crowd of friends. I didn’t know him very well. I don’t think anyone really knew him. But then I found his sparkle.

Ok, so real men don’t sparkle, blah, blah, grunt and scratch.

But, real men need to be reminded that they shouldn’t be afraid to shine. My husband shines for me.

This adorable man taught me what love meant. He taught me that it didn’t have to be a struggle, it wasn’t a one way thing, and it can be forever. He offered me friendship, he showed me patience, he gave me respect.

We discovered we could trust each other. We could be 100% ourselves with each other. We don’t need to hide. We don’t need to pretend.

This is the kind of love that God offers all of us – and more. We don’t need to hide or pretend with Him. We can trust God with everything: our deepest darkest secrets, our joys, our fears, our dreams and our struggles. It’s a precious love that we should never take for granted.

I thank the Lord daily for my husband. Do you daily thank God for a special someone?

Who has influenced your life the most?

In Hiding

Do you ever hide things? Do you hide things from other people? Do you hide things from yourself? Do you try to hide things from God?

Some scientists are obsessed with hiding things. Those from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany and the Imperial College in London claim to have made a small bump on a gold surface disappear using a sheet made of photonic crystal.

The “invisibility cloak” is only 100 microns by 30 microns. (One micron = one thousandth of a millimetre). And the bump they made vanish was 10x smaller again. So, we are talking miniscule. Smaller than a freckle. Smaller than a speck.

It might sound inconsequential, but it’s a big step in science.

Do you put this much effort into trying to hide things? Have you been carrying around secrets?

While I am impressed by the scientists’ efforts, I’m also reminded that we can’t hide anything from God. He sees all and knows all.

We can’t pretend with God that everything is superdooper when really it’s not. He knows the truth. He wants us to share with Him all these things we hold locked up inside. It’s not because He needs to know what’s going on inside us. He already knows. It’s because we need to tell Him. We need to be honest with Him – and honest with ourselves. We need to give Him our lives, not just a small portion of our lives. We need to give Him our everything.

And we need to be Real.

Pray to God and ask Him to show you what you’ve been hiding from yourself. Pray for the courage to hear the truth.

Not So Fail

While going through the book review section of the newspaper, I came across an amusing book titled, “Edison’s Concrete Piano” by Judy Wearing. It’s a book that covers the backgrounds, personalities, and the work of 16 inventors. This is where you can find out all about the failures of these geniuses.

Thomas Edison brought us the light bulb and photography, but he also tried to create a concrete piano. Other geniuses tried to bring us crazy things like earthquake machines, flying tanks, miracle cures using peanut oil and other failed inventions.

Leonardo da Vinci brought us amazing works of art and was ahead of his time in science. But he believed he was a complete and utter failure. He finished only a few paintings, most of his experiments failed and he had, in his view, very little to show for all his work. But in truth he made such a huge contribution to society.

If these inventors had simply stopped after their first failure, then there is much we may never have seen. If God calls us to do something, then we should do it. Just because it’s God’s will doesn’t mean the way will automatically be easy. It doesn’t mean we will enjoy success the moment we begin.

If it is something that really matters, then we will have to face many obstacles. This is a given. But what is also a given is that God will grant us the strength to persevere, the will to remain positive, and the drive to complete our tasks. He will provide us with everything we need.

So, the next time you look at someone else’s success, know that they had to go through many failures first. Don’t give up the pursuit of your dreams. Because it matters to you, it matters to God.

Life Rescue

Apparently about 150 people fall from large ships each year and three quarters of them are not found again. I can’t even image what it would be like to know you are no more than a speck in a vast ocean and the likelihood of being found is near zero. This is a tragic loss of life and a terrible way to go.

The good news is that a pair of clever Australian inventors created life buoys fitted with Global Positioning Systems. The floatation aids use the satellite tracking technology to help rescue crews find people lost at sea.

They are currently still in the trial process, but this led me to thinking about how God doesn’t need technology to find us.

He will find us in the storms.
He will find us in the fogs.
He will find us in the darkness.

God is our Rescuer.

He keeps us afloat when the anxieties of life threaten to drown us. We only have to reach out and accept that help.

The Reward of Free

Yesterday I wrote about The Price of Free, that is, the cost of following Jesus. I covered alienation, self denial, reliance and vigilance. Today, I’d like to write the counter balance: the reward for following Jesus and why it far out-weighs any burden.

The reward is freedom. Without Christ’s sacrifice, without his saving grace, we would have remained locked in an inescapable prison. And then we would have died. But not only are we saved from death, we are given eternal life.

The reward is community. We may be alienated from the world, but we now have a new family. We are part of a community that builds each other up. We have all the support we could ever need. Our brothers and sisters surround us with love and encouragement and strength. We are made whole by the new connection to the many. The difference is that this community is not just made up of fallible people; it’s brought together through the renewing power of our Lord and Saviour.

The reward is self denial. From a worldly perspective this is a cost, but from a Christian view it is a reward. When we deny ourselves our world opens up to include others and most especially it includes God. We give Him room to move in our lives. We are more able to love others, more able to love ourselves and more able to love God and see all that He has done for us. We gain God’s peace.

The reward is reliance. Again, this could be seen as a cost, but the end result is a reward. It’s no longer up to us to save the world. It’s no longer up to us to carry the burden on our own (Matthew 11:30). It’s no longer up to us to battle the storms. We have our Lord who will fight for us. We only need to be still. (Exodus 14:14). We have no reason to doubt Him and every reason to trust Him.

The reward is a relationship with God. This is the greatest reward of all. We gain a friend who will never betray us, who will never leave us and who will always help us. We gain a love that gives us unspeakable joy. We gain a power that will always protect us. We gain everything worth having.

Can you think of other rewards to add to this list? How has God made a difference to your life in a way that out-weighs any cost?

Rainbow Faith

I love rainbows. They are beautiful and rare and they hold a special place in my heart. For me rainbows are a connection with God. That probably sounds odd since we are surrounded by God, all of creation sings His name and the Holy Spirit Himself lives within me. But whenever I see rainbows, whether they are huge or small, amongst the clouds or in the garden sprinkler, they remind me of God.

That was their original intention. God created them after the Great Flood to remind us of His covenant with all living creatures on this earth (Genesis 9:1-17). I’d see them and think of God and smile and thank Him. Then I started to see them when I was stressed or worried about something. The rainbow would remind me that God is here and He will look after me and carry me through my problems. Then on my twentieth Christian birthday I saw the hugest, fattest, brightest rainbow I’d ever seen in my life and it hadn’t even been raining. What a marvel, what a blessing. I was so delighted I felt like a little child again.

But then I started to rely on the rainbows. I went looking for them when I needed reassurance. I sought them when I needed to know I had God’s approval. When I didn’t see them for a long time I feared God’s disappointment in me. Then I realised that I was searching for signs rather than approaching God himself.

I’ve stopped seeing rainbows altogether now. I believe it’s God’s way of reminding me that my rainbow faith had become a crutch. It stopped me from putting all my trust in God. Oddly enough, by not seeing them even when there should be one, I am now reminded that God is continuing to look after me, continuing to love me, and continuing to be faithful to me even when I’m not faithful to Him.

The Monkey Trap

I recently watched an old documentary about instinct verses intelligence in primates. The show noted that chimpanzees were highly intelligent. However, even though they could make rudimentary tools to achieve certain things, instinct still ruled them.

Scientists placed a treat inside a cavity with a small opening. The monkey could smell the treat and knew it was good. He reached in and grabbed his treasure only to discover that he couldn’t get it out. The monkey’s closed fist was too large to get through the hole again. All he had to do was let go and he’d be free. But he couldn’t do this. He wanted the treat. He tried forcing the treat through the hole. He tried shaking it and yelping, but nothing worked. He became oblivious of any potential danger. He didn’t even realise he was trapped.

We too rely on instinct. We hold onto things and refuse to let go. We worry and fuss. We stick to our hold habits rather than following God’s way. We think we know what's best for us and pursue the wrong goals. In our stubbornness, we become oblivious to the danger that arises whenever we do anything without God.

This is why we must learn to let go of the worldly things. We need to learn to listen for God’s direction, and allow Him to carry us along the right path. This is a thing to be practiced, with daily reminders through prayer and fellowship. The more time we spend with God, the more His desires become our desires, and the less we rely on instinct.

Danger Bay

A few years ago my husband and I took a meandering road trip down to Melbourne. Along the way we decided to stop for a picnic lunch. We turned off the main road and travelled down a winding dirt track. According to the maps we were headed towards Danger Bay. It was the name that enticed me. It promised adventure. The ever-present child in me thought up images of pirates and stormy seas.

What we discovered was even better. We found a secluded beach that was perfect in every way. It had the white sands and the jewel-like ocean sparkling in the sun. It had dappled shade for a picnic and sandstone walls to shelter us from the wind. No one else was around and I delighted in making fresh footprints in the soft sand.

What captured me the most about the place was the peacefulness. It didn’t fit the name. Where was the danger? Then I realised a strong wind was blowing out on the sea. Jagged rocks lay hidden under the waters. Ships could easily get wrecked on this shore.

This world we live in is very much like Danger Bay. We aren’t always able to recognise the danger that waits for us. We might think we are safe. We might think that we are in a good place, especially if things are going well for us. But the truth is, God is our only safe haven. He offers us peace and protection that we can rely on. All we have to do is trust him and then we will enjoy a place within ourselves that is as perfect as that beach.