09
Apr '18

Lessons in the Rearview Mirror

Posted on 04/09/2018 in Devotions, Real Life, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , , ,

09
Apr '18
I was driving home the other day, heading East just about the time the sun was going down behind me.
Rolling hills, music playing, little traffic. Nice and relaxing.
 
Until the setting sun just about blinded me in the rearview mirror.
Blinking from seeing spots, I flipped the mirror up and tried to get back to my relaxing drive home.
 

Not so fast. God had something to say.

 
As I glanced back up to the rearview mirror, I noticed the strange pattern of shadows it was creating from the reflection of the sun. I had to squint to see any kind of detail. All the rolling hills behind me were now cast in various shades of shadow. I couldn’t clearly make out much of anything, and the beauty I was beholding a few minutes before had now turned to ominous shifting patterns of grey.
 
In true form, I took notice and began to ponder how with one flip of a switch everything took on such a drastically different appearance. I use this function at night all the time, but rarely during the day.
 
In true form, God proceeded to do what He regularly does with me… speaking through life, creation and observation.
 
What I heard was this: Now you see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.
 
Hold up. I recognized this from my younger years memorizing the King James Version of I Cor. 13:12:
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
 
Ok Lord, but what are you really trying to tell me.
  
His response:
Your heart may be troubled about many things, but be patient, you can’t see everything clearly yet.
 
I had questions. Of course I had questions.
  
But Lord, it’s hard to be patient when I still don’t have the answers I need. I need clarity!
  
Now you see through a glass darkly. You are my daughter. Trust me, I’ve got you.
  
But Lord, I’d rather understand right now. How do I find peace in this situation without understanding?
 
Right now you can only see a small part of the picture. I am bigger than that. Find peace in ME, not in the understanding.
 
Okay. (sigh) It’s just hard to see beauty through the distortion, purpose in the pain, solid ground in shifting shadows.
  
Your story is not yet complete. I am doing a good work in you. Work with me.
Do not be afraid, I am with you. I AM your solid ground.
 
He had more to say, but you get the idea.
When I got home, I looked up that verse in my chosen translation these days. This is how the NLT puts I Cor. 13:12:
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Sometimes we don’t see beauty looking in the rearview mirror- in the car or in our lives.

 
We often look back and still desire clarity. Sometime hindsight is clearer and sometimes it isn’t. But we serve a God that knows us completely.
As we trust and obey Him, one day we will see- with perfect clarity- the why, the how, the purpose.
 
This month we focus on the Godly virtue and Fruit of the Spirit: Patience. So often it is in the process of “seeing through a glass darkly” where God does His good work. We practice patience, baby-stepping through circumstances and trusting Him to bear fruit in and through us.
 
Our lives can shift and change in an instant. We often stumble around trying to gain focus and grasp for stability.
Do not be afraid. Your story is not yet complete. The God of Angel Armies is behind you, goes before you and is by your side.
 
As Yoda tells an impatient Luke at the start of his training in Star Wars… “Patience you must have, my young Padawan.” 
 
Author:
Michelle Marx
You can read more of Michelle’s writing here.

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26
Mar '18

Control Freak

Posted on 03/26/2018 in Devotions, Real Life, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , , , , ,

26
Mar '18
I’m going to be upfront and honest here.
 

I’m a control freak.

I am a Type A personality, having to ensure everything is figured out. I need to be the one in the driver’s seat. Having a background in the military and law enforcement; I have my day planned out, I am task driven and I will make decisions… well, decisively!

Because let’s face it: a so-so decision is better than no decision at all… am I right?

Let’s put the brakes on that thought process for just a minute. As we have been talking about peace this month, I couldn’t help but think of the peace I have missed out on in my own life because of my control freak mindset.

It really just boils down to these simple thoughts:
I’m afraid of not having control of my life and my family.
I’m afraid of not having control of my job.
What if something bad happens?
Can I prevent this from happening to my kids?

Somehow, I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way.

God tells us in John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
 

I seek to control the world around me, but the world around me will not bring peace to my life. As a result of sin in this world, bad things will happen, loved ones will die, my children may make bad decisions as they grow up and the list goes on.

I cannot control any of these things, but what I can control is my thought process, resolve to focus on God’s word and remember His promises. One of these promises being that he will never leave me or forsake me- in good times and in bad.

 
“Let go and let God”… have you heard of that saying?
I’m working on this very concept in my life and I want to encourage you to do the same.
 
As we release control and let God take over, I know we will begin to find a peace that is only from our Father. A peace that passes all human understanding.
 
He is our ultimate daddy and he cares for our wellbeing more than anyone on this earth.
He wants us to be at peace with ourselves, with others and most importantly with Him.
 
So let’s take the brakes off now and re-examine my first thoughts through this prayer:
 
God, I am asking you to take control. Let my Type A personality be used for your glory and not to try and control the world around me. Lord, help me to slow down in life and not rush to make decisions, but rather seek your council and wisdom first. I ask you Father that as I allow you to take control, you bring a peace in my life that I have never experience before. Help me Jesus to not be a control freak, but rather to let go of control and let you do your perfect work. Thank you for your peace. In Jesus name, Amen.
 
Author:
Husband, Father and Christ-Follower
Ryan leads worship at Faith Assembly

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20
Feb '18

The Ultimate Do Over

Posted on 02/20/2018 in Devotions, Real Life, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , , ,

20
Feb '18
People often use these phrases…

I wish I could do ________ again!
If I only had another chance to do _________.

Today, it’s… I want a Do Over!

I remember when I was on the 6th grade basketball team. I got to start the second half of the game. We all lined up for the tip off and I got the tip. I dribbled down the court for a layup… and missed! My teammate Tommy came to my rescue and got the rebound.

Then he told me I was shooting at the wrong basket! Boy, did I want a do over!

Remembering this experience caused me to think of God and His amazing love for all of us- no exceptions.

God sent His only son to be a sacrifice on our behalf. Through His sacrifice- and our acknowledgement and repentance of sin in our lives- we would have salvation thru the Lord Jesus Christ. This is our do over!

Acts 2:21 says
And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (talking of Jesus) will be saved!

This is the ultimate do over for us. But thank God the reality is this:

God extends do overs to us every day.

 

Knowing this, shouldn’t our goal be to be more like Jesus every day? I know we will fail at times, but our heart’s desire should be to live like Jesus every day.

Proverbs 21:2 says
Every man’s way is right in his own eyes but the Lord weighs the heart.

Psalm 63:8 says
My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.
 

Every day our desire should be to…

Thank God for every breath we take
Thank Him for every blessing we receive
Thank Him for every obstacle we experience
Worship Him for every do over His love allows us.

I know this: our God is not a liar.
He has promised He would never forsake us, especially in those times when we have failed Him.
He is there lovingly and graciously forgiving us, promising to give us a do over. Thank you Jesus!
 

How many times has God graciously given you a do over?

Take a moment right now to thank Him for his mercies- new every morning- and His unfailing love that sustains you through each new day.
 
Author: 
Ken Drew
Loving husband, dad, granddad and Elder at Faith Assembly

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27
Nov '17

Everyone Needs Compassion

Posted on 11/27/2017 in Devotions, Real Life | Tags: , , , ,

27
Nov '17
“Everyone needs compassion” are the first lyrics in Chris Tomlin’s
song “Mighty to Save.”
This word “Compassion” has really become a focal point for
me over the past 10 years.
I think about our compassion for others and Christ’s compassion for us.
 

How many times a day do we receive grace?

How many times a day does God look at us with compassion and mercy?

The answer is an emphatic…Unending!

 

We can look throughout the Bible and see God’s compassion in the Old Testament and Christ’s compassion in the New Testament. Through Christ, we can see a living example of what compassion is supposed to look like.

God has worked on my heart to be more compassionate. What better way to show the love Christ to others then to be compassionate towards everyone? Not just the people that are easy to get along with, but those we don’t always see eye to eye with.

Ephesians 4:32 says

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
 

We have a tendency to be quick to judge and condemn just because someone isn’t living the way we are living or doing the things we are doing. Through all of the negativity, political differences and racial tensions that seem to divide our country; is it possible we can let compassion and the love of Christ shine through what we say and do? Let’s put those things aside and be compassionate to all.

1 Peter 3:8 tells us to

…be like minded, be sympathetic, love one another, compassionate and humble.
 

One of God’s challenges for us today- and every day- is to love one another and show compassion to those hurting and in need.

Take a listen to this Hillsong version of the song, and join me in this compassion journey.
 
Author:
Ryan Bivins
Worship Leader, Faith Assembly

 

 

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23
Aug '17

Grace in the Grey

Posted on 08/23/2017 in Devotions, Soul Care | Tags: , ,

23
Aug '17

 

It would be nice if the world were always black or white, where issues and circumstances were either one way or the other,
right or wrong, good or bad and so on…life just might be easier to navigate.
 
Don’t misunderstand, I do believe there are absolutes in this world.
Good and evil. Right and wrong. I believe this with every fiber of my being.
I also believe that these things are instilled deep inside of us.
Things such as a true sense of justice, crimes that turn our stomachs
and leave no doubt in our mind, actions and words that hurt, steal or wound.
 
 
There are all kinds of right and wrong… pretty obvious ones.
 
I believe that God himself created us to know it.

But while there are black and white issues in the world,

there are also circumstances that live somewhere between the black and white.

Somewhere in the blur of the grey.

 

We don’t typically like the grey.
The grey is nebulous. The grey doesn’t offer quick and easy answers.
The grey can present itself suddenly, or very slowly over time.
And the grey isn’t always wrong…or always right.
There isn’t always a cut and dried practical, logical, or spiritual answer.
One of the problems with human nature is that we are often too quick to jump to conclusions about other people and their grey.
Too quick to look at a situation we think we know a little something about and call it black or white.
Too often, I’ve witnessed people quoting scripture to “prove” their judgement of what they perceive
as right or wrong…for everyone else but themselves.
 
Without knowing all the facts.
Without walking in their shoes.
Without understanding their journey.
Without, well… grace.

Truth is, real life is lived in a variety of colors.

Remember when you were a kid playing with watercolor?
Sometimes when certain colors were mixed- or mixed too much-
they would blur together to make a not-so-pretty, unattractive mess.
Sometimes our life is like that. Messy. Okay, maybe more than sometimes!
 
 
This is where grace comes in.

The loving them through it part.

Giving people grace and time to work through their grey, even if you don’t agree and even if it’s not on your timetable.
And guess what, that includes

grace for you.

If God offers us His grace and love to lavishly, who are we to not offer that same grace to ourselves and others?
And the beautiful thing is that Jesus- the one who entered our fallen grey state- is also in our grey even now,
working on our behalf, gently leading us into clarity… and eventually, full color.
 
I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:18-19
 
 Author:  Michelle Marx
You can read more of Michelle’s writing on her personal blog PianoGirlSpeaks,
or often under the topic of Soul Care for Seedbed.com.

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