A Quiet Heart…

A departure from my usual Wordless Wednesdays. 
But, this picture from last night’s lightning storm perfectly captured this morning’s passage from Jeremiah:

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What a vivid reminder that we serve the true, living, and powerful Creator!
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But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God
and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
Thus shall you say to them:
“The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth
shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”
It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
When he utters his voice,
there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
~Jeremiah 10:10, 12-13

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WFW is not about books, authors, artists…it’s about God and HIS WORD ONLY.  WFW is about celebrating the gift of creativity through God’s Word through creative graphic illustrations. Link up your own pictures and passages here.

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And, of course, a special hello to everyone visiting from iFellowship!

We hear a great deal about people’s intentions, and hopes, and wishes, and feelings, and professions.  It would be well if we could hear more about people’s practice.  It is not the servant who is found wishing and professing, but the servant who is found “doing” whom Jesus calls “blessed.”

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The lesson is one which many, unhappily, shrink from giving, and many more shrink from receiving.  We are gravely told that to talk of “working,” and “doing,” is legal, and brings Christians into bondage! Remarks of this kind should never move us.  They savor of ignorance or perverseness.  The lesson before us is not about justification, but about sanctification, not about faith, but about holiness.  The point is not what a man should do to be saved, but what ought a saved man to do?  The teaching of Scripture is clear and express upon this subject.  A saved man ought to be “careful to maintain good works.” (Titus 3:8)  The desire of a true Christian ought to be, to be found “doing.”

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~J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke (vol. 2), pg. 90

(photo credit: wazoo75)

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When people begin to talk about their relationship with the Lord, and their time in the Word and in prayer with excitement and passion, do you find yourself eagerly nodding in understanding and agreement? 

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Or…do you cross your arms and roll your eyes, assuming it must be forced, and phony.  After all, no one is that passionate about spiritual things…at least, no normal person. 

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“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” ~Jeremiah 15:16 (ESV)

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Sounds like another happy-all-the-time, too-good-to-be-true, super-spiritual Christian, right?

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Or does it?

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Jeremiah, if you will remember, was known as “the weeping prophet.”  This is the same man who wrote Lamentations.  Not exactly a happy book.  And, if you look closely at the chapter surrounding the verse above, you will quickly realize that at the time he penned these words, Jeremiah’s life was far from perfect.  Only a few verses earlier, he was wishing that he had never been born!

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But, even in the midst of utter discouragement, he was able to find not just solace, but joy and delight in the Word of God. 

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While “those people” may sometimes seem like a figment of the pastor’s imagination, or like they are putting on a super-spiritual act, they just might be very much for real.  Not because they, or their lives, are perfect…but, precisely because they are not.  They struggle with heartache, disappointment, trials, pain, sin, and discouragement…just like everyone else.  In other words, they are normal.

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God does not require perfection before we are allowed the privilege of sitting at His feet through His Word.  We can come as we are.  “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of should and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:12-13)  Ready or not, when we come to the Word of God, our heart and our thoughts, our motives and intents – in other words, our sin – will be exposed.

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God’s Word is not a list of do’s and don’ts for “good” Christians.  His Word does offer instruction on how we are to live in this world – and correction and rebuke when necessary.  But, it also offers comfort, encouragement, wisdom, joy…nourishment and refreshment – even, no, especially when our souls are dry, parched, and weary from the various trials and battles of life.  That is part of the joy.

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But, it does not become a joy and a delight, and it cannot nourish and revive our hearts sitting on a bookshelf getting dusty.  We must open it.  We must read it.  Only then will we be able to declare with the psalmist “Oh how I love your law! How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” ~Psalm 119:97 & 103

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.  And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

For thus says the Lord,who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it empty,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek me in vain.’
I the Lord speak the truth;
I declare what is right.

“For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” Ezra 7:10

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Ezra set his heart – he made a decision, firmly, and intentionally purposed in his heart – to study God’s Word.

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To study is “to apply oneself to acquiring a knowledge of (a subject); to examine or investigate carefully and in detail; to observe attentively; scrutinize; to read carefully or intently; to endeavor to learn; to consider.”  (Dictionary.com)  Studying implies an attempt to obtain a grasp of something by methodical or exhaustive thought.

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Joshua 1:8 instructs us that, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.” Meditating on Scripture requires reading actively and thoughtfully, and lingering over the truths found in God’s Word.  As we do this, those truths will fill our hearts and minds. The more we internalize God’s Word, the more it will influence our daily life.  

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Following Ezra’s example, the understanding that we gain from our study of and meditation on God’s Word should lead us to a life of obedience.

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Ezra set his heart to study God’s Word so that he could do it.

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James 1:22-25 tell us to “…be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

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A mirror is only an effective tool if we do something about the reflection that it offers.  It does no good to look in a mirror and discover that you have spinach in your teeth, or that your hair is sticking up, or your clothes are rumpled, if you walk away without even attempting to fix the problem.  In the same way, what good does it do to come to Scripture and be confronted with commands and principles that we are to obey, or sin that must be confessed and repented of, only to walk away and pretend as though nothing is wrong?

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Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Those who can, do.  Those who can’t, teach.”  But, “Ezra set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” 

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Study.  Then do.  Then teach. 

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You cannot teach what you do not know.  And you should not teach what you will not do.  We must set our hearts to study God’s Word, and to practice what we have learned before we attempt to teach it to others.

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Study produces knowledge.  But, knowledge, without application, without obedience, without a change in thought or behavior will lead to arrogance.  Our knowledge must be turned into obedience.  And, as obedience leads to maturity, we are responsible to teach others.

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“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”  ~Hebrews 5:12

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Have you intentionally and purposefully set your heart to study God’s Word, to do it, and to teach it?

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him; sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered.”

A few years ago, the accountability/Bible Study/small group that I was a part of, decided to read through the Bible in 90 days.  For some, it took a little longer, but, the important thing was that everyone was reading their Bible – all of it!  It was the first time some had ever done that!  And, it was a great experience for all of us…and, spiritual-life-changing for some.  And, I am excited to do it again (starting yesterday)…and blog through it with a little more regularity than last time!  (Just so we’re clear, I’m committing to reading daily, not necessarily blogging about my reading daily…although that might happen on occasion.  But I will try to be somewhat consistent about keeping the blog updated with what I am reading and learning.)

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Each Bible reading plan, I think, comes with it’s own set of unique challenges and benefits (always!).  This one is challenging in a way that year-long programs are not. The pace is definitely more of a sprint than a marathon.  And, the sheer amount of reading to be done each day can be a bit overwhelming for someone like me, who prefers a (much!) slower pace when it comes to in depth Bible study.  I like to make lists, outlines, do word studies, cross-reference…This plan doesn’t allow for that – in the same way.  For some, the challenge can be the time…Not necessarily the 90 days, but, rather the time spent doing the reading each day.  Depending on your personal reading (with comprehension) speed, reading each day’s portion can take anywhere from 30 minutes to about an hour.

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But, one of the things I like about this plan is that you read from Genesis to Revelation.  The maximum amount of time you spend in one book is about 5 days (for some of the longer books…less for the shorter ones).  This allows books/letters to be read as a whole, helping you to understand verses, passages, and other books in the (proper) context of the whole.  Robert Murray M’Cheyne said, “I fear many of you never read the whole Bible, and yet it is all equally divine. ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect.’ If we pass over some parts of Scripture we will be incomplete Christians.”  And, Don Whitney wisely asks, “How can one live on ‘every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ (Mt. 4:4) if he’s never even read every word?”

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This plan is simply one way of reading every word…and, I happen to think it is a great one! 

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But, because I am assuming that there are at least a few people out there who have recently made it a goal to read through the Bible this year – and if not all of it, you have perhaps committed to reading it consistently.  (Ahem…New Year’s Resolutions, anyone?)  If 90 days isn’t for you, there are many other great plans that you could use:

• The Chronological Plan – This plan allows you to read though the Bible in the order in which the events occurred – which is not necessarily the way it is laid out in our Bible.
• M’Cheyne’s Reading Plan – (This is the plan that our church recommends to those in the congregation who are interested in reading through their Bible in a year.) It is great because it gets you through the entire Bible in a year.  You will read through the Old Testament once, and the New Testament and Psalms twice.
• The Bible in a Year/The One Year Bible – This is probably the most well-known plan for reading through the Bible each year.  It is a daily reading plan where you will read passages from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs, each day.  (This link is to an online plan, which allows you to plug in your own start date.  So, if you did not, or could not start on January 1^st, no worries!  You can still read through the Bible in a year, without feeling behind from the start!)
• Donald Whitney’s Reading Plan (Scroll down to the section marked “Files related to meditation on Scripture” to find instructions for reading through Scripture in five places.  You can then open it in .doc format) – This plan will take you through five parts of Scripture per session – the Law, History, Poetry, the Prophets, and the New Testament – reading equal amounts in each.  (A variation on the plan is to read equal amounts daily in three sections, beginning in Genesis, Job, and Matthew.)
• Prof. Horner’s Reading Plan – This plan was created by a professor at the college that I attended.  Similar to the above plan, you will read one chapter from 10 different sections of Scripture each day.  Each year, you will read through all 4 Gospels 4 times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the OT History and prophetic books about 1 ½ times. 

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I know that many of these plans, including the 90-day plan, offer Bibles specific to their plan, laid out to make the reading easier.  I understand why they do this, and I know many people find it helpful.  If you do, that’s great.  Truly, the important thing is that you are in the Word each day.  But…  Personally, I prefer to use my own Bible.  I do all of my reading in it.  I use it for study.  I carry it to church.  (You get the idea.)  Using the same Bible, regardless of which reading or study plan I am doing allows me to get to know “my” Bible.  I know where specific books, passages, and verses are in my Bible.  And, because I use the same version, for everything, I have found this to be of great help in memorization.   But, constantly switching up Bibles or versions can break the continuity, and the familiarity that I have with “my” Bible.  So, my suggestion would be to find a version (meaning translation, not paraphrase), print size, and format that you like, and stick with it.  Most of these plans also offer bookmarks, or printouts to help you stay on track, and keep your place.

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I’d love to know what (if any) plan you are using this year.  And, if you’re up for it, I’d love it if you would…

If you do decide to join in…be sure to link up here.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” ~Psalm 19:1

Last week, I had the privilege of teaching our women’s Bible Study, on the first 6 verses of Psalm 19.  And, as I studied the passage in preparation for the lesson, I found myself convicted about how I often take for granted the amazing gift of grace that God has given us in Creation.  Even as I prepared for the lesson, I was impatient to get to, what I considered, “the good stuff,” in verses 7-14.  Sadly, this attitude is reflected in my life each day, as I rarely take time to see the world that God has created for what it is – a revelation of Himself to us, His creation.  Maybe it is as the old saying goes, “familiarity breeds contempt.”  Arizona boasts that they enjoy 300 days of sunshine each year.  But, that was not exactly a selling point for this California girl…  Growing up in Southern California, I have seen sunny days, and instead of causing me to be thankful, and praise God for his wisdom and creativity, I complain about the oppressive heat.  I’d like to think that, maybe if I lived in a place where winter meant months of endless gray skies, below freezing temperatures, and several feet of snow, then I might be less likely to complain, and instead reflect on how the light and warmth of the sun reveals the power, wisdom, and mercy of the Creator.

“Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”  ~Psalm 19:2

Although we do not always stop to notice it, the created world is constantly speaking, overflowing with their witness to the glory and existence of God.  I love how John Piper says, “knowledge comes through nature, day and night.  At night, the night sky speaks.  In the day, the day sky speaks.  Or to be precise, speech pours forth. Nature does not whisper—it shouts, and it shouts continually.”

The created world around us reveals so much to us about God, about His character, His nature, His creativity, His power, His mercy, His wrath, and His eternality.

In our family devotional time, we recently studied the 6 days of creation with Hannah.  And (I just love when God does this!!), this coincided perfectly with the catechism that Hannah has been learning as well.  As we have talked about the fact that God made everything, we have also been working on helping her to understand that God made all things “For His own glory.”  But, the other night, it was interesting to watch her put the pieces together…  You could almost see the little wheels turning in her mind as she worked on the concept of God making everything.  “But, if God made everything, then it wasn’t here before He made it.”  Exactly!  It is amazing when you stop to think that there was a time when only God existed.  He was not created.  He never had a beginning….  Again, I have to quote John Piper,

“You became the person you are. You grew and learned and changed and matured. But not God. He is good, long-suffering, reliable, honest, righteous, merciful, but He never became that way.  He never learned anything from anybody; He never grew; He never changed; He never matured.  He simply always was what He is from eternity before eternity before eternity.  As unimaginable as it is, it says to me: He is sure.  He is a rock.  He cannot cease to be what He has been from all eternity, because there are no forces at work on Him which do not have their ultimate origin in Him and are limited by Him. So my faith in God’s future is greatly strengthened by pondering the fact that he is the eternal, glorious creator.” (emphasis added)

“There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.  Their measuring line (voice) goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,” ~Psalm 19:3-4

Charles Spurgeon says, the teaching of the stars, the sky, the heavens, “is not addressed to the ear, and is not uttered in articulate sounds; it is pictorial, and directed to the eye and the heart; it touches not the sense by which faith comes, for faith cometh by hearing” (The Treasury of David – Vol. 1, pg. 271)– and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom. 10:17)  What the created world communicates to us is not by way of words of a literal, verbal, audible nature.  But, neither is it some secret language, only to be deciphered by the enlightened few.  It is available, and accessible to everyone.  The revelation in the created world transcends geography, culture, and language.  But, the result of this is that all men can then be held accountable for acknowledging the truth of what nature communicates.

“which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.  Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to he end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
~Psalm 19:5-6

No one is immune.   No one is unaffected.    We may be able to hide ourselves from other aspects of creation – we generally sleep while the stars are out, we stay inside and protect ourselves from the rain, we may close the blinds and hide from the light of the sun, or turn on the air conditioner and momentarily escape feeling it’s heat.  But, no one can escape the fact that the sun, in some way, has an effect on every living creature.  In the same way – even though some may deny Him – the fact remains that no one is unaffected by God.  We are here because of Him.  Life is sustained because of Him. 

Romans 1:18-20 – “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Emphasis added)

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These verses, and their implications for everyday life, have been on my mind constantly for the past few weeks.  So, I was excited to read about this today on several blogs, Facebook, and news sites:

“The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait patiently for the shooting stars.

In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting.”

I realize that these are hours when most people are sound asleep.  But, if you are up, what a great opportunity to watch as “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”!

I love to take pictures of my daughter, and the fun things we do together…whether simple everyday activities or milestone events like Disneyland trips and birthday parties.  For now, most of those pictures reside, untouched, in our online album.  But, I would love to see these pictures in a beautiful scrapbook that chronicles her childhood as a treasured keepsake.  So, in an effort to spark my creativity, and learn new techniques, I like to read different scrapbooking magazines.  And, while I certainly cannot afford every tool or embellishment out there, I do enjoy attempting some of the ideas and techniques when I find the time, and the space, to scrap…which, admittedly, is not quite as often as I would like. 

But, there are women who have entire rooms meticulously organized and specifically dedicated to their craft.  Some monopolize the kitchen table when it is not otherwise occupied.  Many get up early and/or stay up late, to complete a few pages each day.  And, in addition to this daily dedication, some even take entire weekends away with friends in order to focus on, and complete their albums.  Without a doubt, these women have beautiful works of art to show for their efforts!

I, on the other hand, have a 4-year-old.  And, I am still working on “scrapping” her first few weeks of life!!  It is becoming increasingly, and painfully clear that my occasional bursts of creativity are getting me nowhere, fast.  Simply wanting these beautiful albums is not getting them done.  And, while I enjoy the articles and tips, simply gleaning knowledge about the latest methods and tools is not going to get me any closer to my goal, unless I utilize them.  Sadly, as my lack of albums will attest, scrapbooking is just not something that ranks very high on my list of priorities.  Because, if I truly enjoyed the process, or valued the end result, then not only I would make the time to do it, I would have the pages and albums to prove it.

Sometimes, it seems that we treat our spiritual life in much the same manner.  It is often nothing more than a hobby that we get around to when we find the time.  Oh, sure, we want to know God’s Word.  We want to grow spiritually.  So, we occasionally read the Bible, when the mood strikes.  We read books on Christian living, or on what the Bible says about a particular topic, hoping for inspiration, and that proverbial push to get us on our way.  But, we are not really willing to put forth the effort, or make the necessary sacrifices of time, discipline, or convenience.  And, while we often have the necessary tools at our disposal, we do not utilize them.  And, all we really have to “show” for it, is a desire for something better than our current anemic spiritual state that is so far from the vibrant, thriving walk that we imagined….

Don’t get me wrong, wanting to grow spiritually is good.  It is essential.  If you are a child of God, then, by all means, you should want to grow!  But, that cannot be where it ends.  Good intentions will only get you (and me) so far.  They are only the beginning.

I think this quote, which is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, says it well:

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”

So why don’t we?

Maybe it is because we have not been impressed by the “urgency of doing” when it comes to spending time with the Lord in prayer, and in His Word.  Most people have experienced, and understand the concept of the “tyranny of the urgent,” in which so many little tasks clamor for immediate attention, and the things that “can wait” usually do…indefinitely.  There are lots of excuses, I’ve used many myself.  But, I think that the most common, and, in my opinion, over-used excuse is, “I don’t have time.”

Really?

Elisabeth Elliot says,

“‘I don’t have time’ is probably a lie more often than not, covering ‘I don’t want to.’ We have time – twenty-four hours in a day, seven days in a week.  All of us have the same portion.” (Discipline: The Glad Surrender, pg. 97)

Believe it or not, I do understand the demands of balancing marriage, motherhood, housekeeping, homeschooling, and ministry.  And, I don’t do it perfectly.  Being a pastor’s wife does not make you immune to excuses, apathy, or laziness.  I understand that “life” happens.  Kids (or mommies, or daddies) get sick.  Cars break down.  Potty accidents happen.  Toilets overflow.  Hard as you or I might try (and, believe me, I do try!), some things just cannot be planned!  Yes, I only have one child, so I’m sure the demands on my time are different than those who have more children – not necessarily more, not necessarily less – just different.  And, my daughter is older, so I am no longer in the throes of sleep deprivation, all too familiar to mommies of newborns.  Even so, each stage of childhood (or mommyhood) comes with its own unique demands and pressures.

But, I also understand that those very pressures and demands are exactly what make our time in the Word each day all the more urgent.  How can we, as moms, expect to diligently teach our children how to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and might, if His Words are not on our hearts? (Deut. 6:5-7)  Look at the example of Eunice and Lois, and the sincere faith that they passed on to Timothy. (2 Tim. 1:5)  What kind of spiritual legacy are we leaving for our children? 

Regardless of how limited the time may seem, we all have the same amount of time allotted to us.  And, we all make choices about how we use that time.

Can we honestly say that we do not have any time – in 24 hours – to spend reading and/or studying God’s Word?  Funny, when we seem to easily find time for the latest episode of Dancing with the Stars, for creating a few scrapbook pages, for working out, or catching up with our favorite blogs (or insert your favorite TV programs/hobbies/activities here).  Or, maybe, if we were really being honest, is it that we just want those other things more?

Because, bottom line?  We do have the time.  The question is, what are you doing with it? 

What tasks or activities are so important, so urgent, and so attractive, as to be allotted a coveted portion of your time each day (or night)?   Where does getting to know your Savior, through His revealed Word, fall on that list?  Do you see the urgency in it?  Or, does it even make it on the radar?