More about Sheep

“While correction is never fun sometimes it’s the best kind of love.”

I continue to see how much I am like a sheep.  They are easily cast down and thrown off putting them in much danger.  While you can’t completely prevent this from happening one reason sheep are prone to this situation is an excess of wool.  The sheep however, do not like the process of being sheared, even though they find relief from the hot heavy coat that is often clogged with manure, mud, burrs and ticks.  We are so much like sheep.  We too don’t like the process of things being sheared from our lives.  It’s not until looking back, until we see all we’ve been carrying from the place of being free that we find we are glad for the shears.  So although the refining is painful, the freedom is worth it.  

“A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them.”

Proverbs 13:24 MSG

We have a good good Father.  Sometimes we are like the sheep being sheared unable to see His goodness.  We don’t like the shearing and thus conclude that He isn’t good.  Like the sheep who can’t see all that has gotten in its wool neither can we see all that is keeping us from freedom.  Thus, we must trust our Good Shepherd and know that it is always in love that He brings out the shears.  Our Good Father is always for us and always with us, even when it’s impossible to see through the pain.  While not everything painful is His disciplining, He still remains a good Father in everything painful.  So whatever process you find yourself in with the Lord you can always go back to knowing that He is your Good Good Father who does everything, yes everything, truly everything in love.  

Adapted from A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller

For a little more on our “Good Good Father” check out this song by Housefires…

Good Good Father by HOUSEFIRES II with Lyrics

Cast Down

It’s not whether or not we will be cast down or even why we’ve been cast down, instead the question is will we find a way to see hope until we find it.

Downcast is that feeling of low spirits in loss of hope or courage (wiktionary).  It’s that place where we feel cast down; where our hope has been cast down.  I’ve been learning how we are like sheep.  When sheep have been cast down it means they have been turned on their backs and are unable to get back up on their own.  Furthermore, if the owner does not arrive in time to set it upright the sheep will die within days.  Now I don’t know the thoughts of a sheep but I’ve learned they battle much fear and can easily become frantic when lying cast down.  Yet, it is this panic that makes things worse for the sheep and for us.  So you see, we are like sheep.  We like the sheep are easily cast down.  We like sheep are in need of help.  We like sheep make things worse the further we delve into panic mode.  So whatever has you cast down, feeling like your legs are in the air unable to get up, remember there is hope.  

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

Psalm 43:5

The thing about following God is that we have a Good Shepherd.  A good shepherd is always on the look out for cast down sheep.  They are constantly attentive to the condition of the flock and thus ready to pull any one of their sheep back to it’s feet.  This is our God.  So while it may seem helpless we too must remember to whom we belong.  This is what the psalmist is doing, he is remembering his God who brings hope and saving.  This is not a condemning question of why are you cast down but an invitation to remember that even though you may find yourself cast down you have a Good Shepherd who is always on the lookout for his sheep.  He sees you and will be faithful to you.  Keep your eyes always on Him, our hope and our help who has His eyes always on you.  

Adapted from A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller

Space for Grace

While I don’t know the whole recipe for life, I know it calls for lots of grace.

The more I experience the snow of winter the more I find pictures of our seasons and storms in life.  Besides that winter requires more space because of snow on cars and tough road conditions; it also requires more grace.  Some of the general road rules have to be set aside at times during the snow.  When it’s really bad cars may have to drive through red lights because the roads won’t allow them to stop.  Yet even if just on days where the snow has covered the ground, parking between the lines is really just a guessing game.  I can’t be expected to know where the lines are if I can’t see them, nor can I expect anyone else to do the same.  This picture reminds me of how I need this same grace in my own life as well as for other people, especially in the midst of any level of storm or trial.  For someone who values doing things well and right this can be quite a feat to extend grace to myself and yet that is exactly what this season calls for me to do.  So whatever season you find yourself in, however far over the lines you park, let there be space in your life for grace.  You need it and so does everyone else.  

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 NASB

Our God is gracious.  He loves to extend His grace to us.  Prior to this verse we see that He is a God that can “sympathize with our weaknesses.”  Sometimes the hardest part about that is admitting that we have them.  Once we can get to that place of humility we can freely approach His grace that He longs for us to find.  His heart is that we would especially find this mercy and grace in our time of need.  We don’t need fancy words and we don’t need to have it all together.  Instead we can come without reservation, in confidence that the God who sees all and knows all is the One who can completely sympathize and understand what you are walking through.  Without condemnation He sees you longing to extend His grace in your time of need that you can extend that same grace to others.  It starts with His grace.  We need His grace.  Come walk free in His grace.  

Delighting in Work

Our work is a gift.  Sometimes wonderful and sometimes work.

I’ve found that anything worth doing requires some level of work.  In physics work is “the exertion of force overcoming resistance or producing molecular change.”  Resistance is required for change.  Work is not only the job we do each day.  It is that which we put into what we do.  It is what we put our hands to as well as the effort we put into it.  Change requires resistance.  I often want change without the resistance, yet that’s not how it works.  Or at least not with significant change.  If you feel resistance you just might be onto something.  Since we spend so much time in the work of our job or our role that is often where we feel the most resistance.  Yet that is also the very place that is our gift.  Your work is your gift and worth the resistance.  

“…Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life.  And that’s about it.  That’s the human lot.  Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work.  It’s God’s gift!…”
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 Message

Sometimes it’s hard to see work as a gift.  Yet here in Ecclesiastes that is exactly what Solomon is encouraging us to do.  In the midst of searching through life’s seeming meaninglessness Solomon finds that it is through God that we find meaning.  Apart from Him it all ends in meaninglessness.  God empowers us to enjoy His provision.  Knowing this he says that our work is God’s gift to us for us to delight in and make the most of it.  Some days that seems so easy to do and other days it can feel more like a stretch, yet all days it remains true.  Whatever the work of your day looks like today may you have “both the bounty and capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work.”

Don't Lose Heart

Though all hope may seem lost…Take heart again, take courage again, take hope once again.  

Discouragement is a normal place to find yourself, but not a place to stay.  We lose some of the meaning of this word in the English.  In the Latin ‘cor’ means heart.  The word discourage has roots in discouragier from the French language.  Des means away and corage means courage.  When our courage gets taken away so does our heart.  Discouragement sucks the life out of us. Without heart and without courage we find ourselves without life.   Without life we can’t do the things we were made to do, called to do and love to do.  So don’t let anyone or anything take your heart from you.   Even if it’s been lost for a very long time you can still grab hold of it.  Speak courage to your heart until you believe it.  Take heart again, take courage again, take hope once again...and again.  

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

2 Corinthians 4:16 NASB

The Biblical definition of losing heart means to be utterly spiritless, wearied out, or exhausted.  Now that’s a dark place to find yourself.  Yet, you don’t have to stay there.  In 2 Corinthians Paul is encouraging us with his own life.  Even though he was threatened, beaten, imprisoned, and stoned, even still he learned the secret of not losing heart.  He saw the purpose behind every affliction; the value of the inward man more than the outward man; of the spirit more than the body.  He saw the opportunities all of his pain and suffering brought him to know Jesus and to share Jesus.  His secret was in the day by day renewing.  It’s a day by day process and battle.  So take today.  Take this moment.  Speak words of renewing life to your spirit.  Let it find newness once again in the truth that we need not lose heart.  This place is meaningful, the pain is worth it, and you can take heart once again even in this place.  

For some extra encouragement check out this short message from John Piper mixed into Shane and Shane’s song, “Though You Slay Me."

"Though You Slay Me" (featuring John Piper) by Desiring God

Tis the Season

Tis the Season to remember why we celebrate the season.

We sing, “tis the season to be jolly” in the familiar Christmas tune, “Deck the Halls."  I love the joy that can come with this time of the year.  Although I don’t get into Christmas as much as I used to I still love the singing, the lights, the hope.  Yet this isn’t the case for everyone.  For many this season brings stress, sadness, and struggle.  The financial pressures and the lament of loved ones are enough to bring a heaviness over this season that is said to be jolly.  Yet beyond the pain and joy this season has a way of bringing us together.  It joins us with people.  Whether we celebrate with sadness or joy there is a togetherness of this season that remains true.  May the presents and the pain never keep us from enjoying those we are with this season.  Tis the season to be together.  

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Matthew 1:23 ESV

He is the “with us” God.  Jesus came to be with us.  That’s the whole reason we celebrate.  We have a God that left heaven to come to our broken earth because He wanted to be with us.  It’s in His name.  Immanuel, means God with us.  It’s who He is and who His presence longs for us to know.  His desire has always been to be with us.  It was always His plan, always His heart.  It lines up with our greatest need to have intimacy with Him.  He meets our greatest need with His greatest desire.  This is why we can celebrate this season.  It’s the remembering of our Immanuel, With us God, who came to make a way for our greatest need.  We need His presence.  Whether you find yourself singing with joy or with tears of longing this Christmas know that God is with you.  That’s what this season is about.  We celebrate the birth of our God who came to be with us.  Look around for all the ways He is with you this season.  Tis the Season to see the reality of our God with us.  

THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY

I'm enjoying this from Raleigh Tillman's collections…

THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY

There is always a way. Believe it.

When the road is rocky and full of obstacles; 

When the wind blows like a fierce hurricane;

When the driving rains on’t let up for a minute; 

When the sun beats down and there is no shade; 

When there is barely a glimmer of hope you find

The way to walk among the boulders and thorns:

So carry on, you stout hearted.  Believe it. 

There is always a way for you to walk, a good, right way.

There are always full, new mercies with the morning sun,

And there is always light to illuminate what’s been dark.

There is clarity that will outrun the inhering confusion;

And there is joy for each day, strength in hard moments,

And a great, glorious hope to keep you walking, always.

You can see read more of her writing by purchasing her book or viewing her blog: http://raleightillman.com

The Greatest Hope of Our Best Dreams: A Collection of Writings, available in print and Kindle at Amazon.com.   I have the book and highly recommend it!!!