Comfort can be costly December 31, 2009
Posted by Amy in devotion.Tags: chores, comfort, horses, trials
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It’s cold in Minnesota today. As I predicted. It seems every winter when my horse’s nanny goes out of town and I take over the twice-daily horse chores, we get the coldest weather of the year. Eight below wind chill this morning as I bundled up to greet the morning and the “boys” – the three geldings waiting for their morning vittles.
Ernie and me this cold morning.
I quickly dispersed their rations of grain and headed for the warm house. As I walked, I was a bit melancholy. You see, I seldom see my furry four-legged pet in the winter. As much as I adore him and am changed by his company, I let the cold keep me away. My winter visits are always brief. A scratch behind the ears and a hug around his shoulders and I’m on my way to find warmth and comfort. I don’t spend enough time with Ernie during the winter to allow his gentleness and simple lifestyle to influence me.
It occurs to me that sometimes we need to endure discomfort to gain peace and allow ourselves to be changed. I could benefit from 45 quiet minutes with Ernie – regardless of the cold – to relish him and allow God to work through him to quiet me and speak to me. The discomfort of the cold would be a small sacrifice to hear God’s voice.
When we face struggles and discomfort, all too often we do all we can to ease our pain and suffering. What we really need is to stay in them as long as God wants us to and allow him to teach us and stretch us through them. We’ll come out changed on the other side.
Are you like me in that you do all you can to stay comfortable, even if it means sacrificing something good? I’m sacrificing time with Ernie, and opportunities for God to speak to me in that time, for the sake of warmth. What discomfort are you avoiding right now? What might you be missing out on by clinging to your comfort? Please share your thoughts in a comment.
James 1:3-4 (NLT): For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
P.S. It’s Dec. 31. Were you expecting a posting about the new year or resolutions, or look back at the splendor of 2009? I may resort to that in the coming days, however, what’s above is what is on my heart today. I always write and post what’s on my heart, asking the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and words. Nevertheless, I pray that 2010 brings restored hope for those of you feeling defeated by life in 2009. Continue to hold tightly to your faith.
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT): Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Crave Something More: Joy December 30, 2009
Posted by Amy in Other people's stuff.Tags: Chris Tomlinson, Crave, joy
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Last week, I wrote about a seeming lack of joy among us. For all intents and purposes, we appear to have lost perspective on the magnitude of the birth of our Savior, the source of all joy.
In his soon-to-be-available book “Crave,” Chris Tomlinson also reminds us that our joy is found only in Jesus (p. 198-199):
“Our craving for happiness and joy is from God. He created us with a craving that longs to be filled. And when we fill this hole with anything but Him, we realize none of it works. We find ourselves in a story that has been told for centuries. As the pages turn in our lives, each chapter brings a new pursuit that eventually ends in disappointment. The plot twists and turns, but the cast of characters remains the same: security, comfort, wealth, power, sex, success, popularity, status…anything and everything we believe will bring us fulfillment. We fail to read between the lines, to see the beauty of the story behind the story. I think we misunderstand the point of the craving itself.
“Joy or happiness is what we all crave, but we can satisfy it in only one way. We cannot make joy our ultimate aim because we are not pure enough to seek after it in the right way. We must seek to satisfy our longings, the deepest cravings of our soul, by seeking the One who made us with a desire for Him.
“This is the purpose of our cravings. They are signs that lead us to Him.”
How are you pursuing joy today? Through earthly pursuits and human efforts or by drawing nearer to God?
You can download the book’s chapter on joy from Chris’s blog Crave Something More. It’s worth a read. The book will be available for purchase Jan. 1.
End of the Trail Too Soon December 29, 2009
Posted by Amy in random thoughts.Tags: christmas, living with purpose, love, perseverance, Psalm 39
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Christmas is over. I’m mourning its passing. All too quickly the festivities have ended. Family will soon go home. Decorations will be put away. Caught up in sending cards and buying gifts, I missed the best time of year. My time reflecting on the birth of our Savior was cut short. How did my priorities get so maligned?
Life is fleeting
Like Christmas, life can get away from us. We get caught up in daily tasks, appointments, our routine. Next thing you know it’s the end of another day, week, year and decade. Seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Y2K and now 2010 is upon us.
Psalm 39 tells us, “You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Job 14:2 says, “We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.”
Daily choices
Each day we have a choice to make: will we go through the motions again today, or will we live with urgency and intentionality, leaving our mark on the world by positively impacting others? Are we going to strive for material gain and earthly status, or will we strive to love family, friends, enemies and strangers more fully? What will you choose today? How will you live out that choice?
Purpose and urgency
Paul ran with purpose in every step, straight toward his goal (1 Corinthians 9:26). He did not live to please himself or care what others thought of him. What an example! The writer of Hebrews encourages us to strip off every weight that slows us down and run with endurance the race God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1). Jesus said in John 9:4, “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.”
What race has God set before you? What weights are slowing you down from reaching the finish line? Where might you be drawn off the course?
Off the Trail at Christmas December 25, 2009
Posted by Amy in random thoughts.Tags: christmas, flexibility, God's will, possibilities, schedule, snow
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Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope you are blessed by the presence of God and family today.
As I write, snow is falling here in Minnesota. A light easterly breeze is angling the snowflakes toward the ground. The trees and bushes have a layer of snow outlining their shape. It feeds me just to be able to soak in the beauty and quietness of the morning.
Changing Plans and Traditions
It has snowed for three days now. Many people’s Christmas plans and traditions have been set aside for practical and safety reasons. As one pastor reminded his Facebook friends, the snow gives God a chance to interrupt us. People will likely spend time in places and with people they maybe wouldn’t normally. How many relationships might be healed with some unplanned time together? Perhaps neighbors will celebrate together for the first time in lieu of extended family gatherings?
Off the Trail
Many years ago, I found myself in Vienna, Austria, on Christmas Eve. It was biting cold and windy. I was physically and emotionally tired from weeks of train traveling and living as a nomad. When we learned that we had arrived at our youth hostel too late to get dinner, discouragement set in. We ate at a Greek restaurant. Very different than the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, I thought. I called my family to wish them Merry Christmas, and then homesickness set in. Attending church didn’t occur to us being that we were in a town where we didn’t speak the language. This was Christmas Eve and nothing was right, I thought.
Lesson Learned
That Christmas Eve taught me a few things that I needed to learn. Christmas to me is about God and family. It’s not Christmas without going to church and singing Silent Night. And it’s not Christmas without spending time with family. I needed that reminder. I had been taking both for granted.
I also learned that it’s good for my routine to be disturbed. Even though I hate unpredictability, it teaches me how to accept situations and people who I cannot control. My boyfriend and I are trying to mesh our holidays traditions and family time. It’s a challenge. It takes flexibility and patience — both of which I lack. It’s a process that God is leading and using to refine me. But I am so blessed to be a part of others’ traditions and families. My life is richer because of the experience.
Maybe the Christmas snow storm of 2009 has upset your traditions and plans. What might you have experienced that wouldn’t have happened without the storm? How have you seen God working when he has changed your plans? Do you have a story you can share?
Regardless of where we are and who we are with today, God is there. He will bless you with new experiences if you let him. Be open to the possibilities.
Luke 2:19 (NLT): “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
Joy to the World December 23, 2009
Posted by Amy in random thoughts.Tags: christmas carols, hope, joy
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Joy. I think we’ve forgotten what that world means. Webster remind us:
1: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety
2 : a state of happiness or felicity : bliss
3 : a source or cause of delight
Why is there so little joy in the world, even among Christians? This time of year, we often sing or hear “Joy to the World, the Lord has come.” Where is our joy?
Has our joy been consumed by everyday concerns and keeping our schedules? Has the Christmas story become so familiar to us that we forget the magnitude of Jesus’ birth and death? Are we taking God’s forgiveness and grace for granted?
James 1:2 (NIV) tells us: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” Wow, we seldom feel joy in our good days, can you imagine being joyous in our trials?
Job 5:17 (NLT) says, “But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.” Again, I don’t ever remember feeling joyous when I was being disciplined.
This Christmas season I pray we’ll allow the Christmas story to bring us renewed joy and hope for every day. Open your mind and heart to the possibility.
Joy to the World, the Lord has come.
Let earth receive her king.
Let every heart, prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing and heaven and nature sing
and heaven and heaven and nature sing.
Enjoy this video.
Merry Christmas!
Luke 2:10 (NLT): but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people…”
O Little Town December 22, 2009
Posted by Amy in random thoughts.Tags: christmas carols, O Little Town
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What was true thousands of years ago, is still true today. God comes into our lives unexpectedly, not forcing himself on us but rather patiently and quietly waits for our hearts to respond to him.
That’s what we see in the lyrics of the classic carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” We may sing the song in a rote manner, thinking the words are only about the birth of Christ 2000 years ago and have no relevancy today. Take a look at some of the lyrics though:
Verse 3
How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
Verse 4
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
A Gift for Us Today
Still today, God silently gives his gift of life to new believers. They didn’t hear or see him coming but they were open to it and God the Holy Spirit entered into them. For Christians, verse 4 could represent our daily need to confess and repent, and to receive his forgiveness. Every day, we need to invite Christ in.
The gift that God gave to the world over 2000 years ago is the same gift he continues to give today. The gift of his son. Those who accept the gift, who let Christ in, receive the blessings of heaven, forgiveness for the things they’ve done wrong, and eternal life. We simply have to accept the gift and not leave it under the tree. Everytime someone accepts the gift, Christmas comes once more.
Not Forgotten
Here’s the other things I like about this carol. It reminds me of Micah 5:2 (NLT): “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.”
Bethlehem was a lowly, forgotten village. It paled in comparison to Jerusalem. It may not have equaled Bethany or Capernaum. Yet God didn’t overlook Bethlehem. He chose it to go down in history, in spite of the location’s relative obscurity. And that’s the way it is for us too. We may have insecurities or an inferiority complex but God sees us. He knows us. He hasn’t forgotten any of us. He loves us. All of us.
“The dark night wakes, the glory breaks and Christmas comes once more.”
Christmas Carols December 21, 2009
Posted by Amy in random thoughts.Tags: christmas, christmas carols, hallelujah chorus, handel's messiah, scripture
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I love Christmas carols. Not the songs pop culture has coined “carols” but the old traditional church carols. I attribute it to my family heritage. Nearly every Christmas I remember, my extended family gathered around the piano to sing carols. My mom passionately plays the carols on the church organ during the Advent season. She’s led many Christmas choir cantatas during my life. The carols are part of the fabric of my family.
I know many of you dread the carols, particularly when radio stations and stores start playing them in early November. Yes, some of you get tired of the songs, particularly since we have a limited number of carols and nearly every artist has recorded their rendition of the limited lot. I don’t ever tire of the church carols though.
Handel’s Messiah
One day recently I caught myself singing the very traditional Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. Odd, I thought, since I’ve always equated this song to Easter, not Christmas. Then I considered the words.
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”
Hmm. Straight out of the book of Isaiah. There are other lines that talk about the angels visiting the shepherds in the field and the virgin conceiving a child. Again from Isaiah. Definitely Christmas prophecy.
Grounded in scripture
I think this song stays with me because the words are directly out of scripture. (The linked page above gives you the scripture references.) It’s the story of God’s complete plan – from Christ’s virgin birth to the final victory over death and evil. All put to music.
It also sticks with me because it’s a song of victory. “The God omnipotent reigneth” and “he shall reign forever and forever” are repeated throughout the chorus. In the link above, Part 3 is in fact called “a hymn of Thanksgiving for the final overthrow of death.” Now that’s a reason to shout Hallelujah! And a reason to sing this song anytime of the year.
What are you favorite carols and why?
Live a Little December 18, 2009
Posted by Amy in random thoughts.Tags: contentment, failure, joy, peace, risk, victory
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I was reminded in a meeting yesterday of my semester abroad during college. I studied four months in Spain. I was absolutely horrified to go. I arrived in the Iberian peninsula in a daze, unable to communicate with anyone, not knowing anyone. I collapsed in heap and cried.
Fast forward four months. Upon my return home, I was proficient in Spanish. I had traveled the trains through Europe, seeing some amazing sites and experiencing life like I had never before.
Victory
Going to Spain required me to be vulnerable and risk failure, rejection, mocking, disapproval, disappointment. With risk, however, there’s also opportunity for victory – for gratifying new experiences, for a more confident and expressive self, for love and joy. If I had never take that risk, I would never have known the beauty and wonder of Spain and Europe, or the sense of accomplishment of learning the Spanish language. Similarly, if I had never risked taking a small step of faith to attend church, I may have never known the power of the Holy Spirit to change my heart and overcome depression.
All of the greatest accomplishments and events in my life have come at the risk of rejection and failure. So why does fear hold me back now? What joys am I missing out on by letting fear control me?
Fear and the need to control are from Satan. He wants me to be consumed with fear so that I cannot experience joy.
Paul as an Example
Every day of Paul’s post-conversion life was filled with risk and vulnerability. He faced risk knowing Christ watched and protected him, and the Spirit guided his words and travels. He achieved great victories for Christ and experienced the depth of joy and contentment by boldly preaching the gospel and being vulnerable. Others are also examples of vulnerability and complete trust in God: Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Noah, David, Gideon, Ruth, Ester, Mary, John the Baptist.
Take a Risk
True contentment, peace and joy only come when we’re willing to make ourselves vulnerable while having complete faith that God, because of his love for us, will see us through our fear or any situation. Take a step in faith. Experience victory and joy.
Pastor Hous shares a similar thought in his coaching today.
What have you always wanted to do but let fear hold you back? What risk can you take today to live boldly? How can you rely on God to help you face your fear?
Heartache December 16, 2009
Posted by Amy in random thoughts.Tags: perseverance, sanctification, suffering, trials
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My heart aches today. Several people I know are facing gut-wrenching circumstances – prolonged illness, death of a loved one, a broken marriage, joblessness. Dear friends, if you only knew how much I wish I could ease your pain.
Cliches
I could remind you to ask God “What do you want me to learn?” or “How do you want to change me through this time?” Actually, that’s where this post started. But sometimes these reminders, while true, fall short of providing hope and comfort. Knowing that God uses times of testing to grow us is sometimes of little consolation when you wonder how you’re going to get out of bed or why you even need to get out of bed.
Promises
My heart tells me that my suffering friends need to hear a different message: God has not forgotten you, He loves you and He sees your tears. Believe these promises and own them.
Psalm 10:17 (NLT): Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
Intercession
And not only are people praying for you, the Holy Spirit himself is taking your cares to God. Take heart, be strong in the Lord. And trust in his faithfulness to see you through whatever you’re facing.
Do you have godly wisdom that may help others through some dark days? Please share your comments.
Romans 8:35, 38-39 (NLT): Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?…And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Unanswered questions December 15, 2009
Posted by Amy in devotion.Tags: doubt, faith, horses, prayer, sovereignty
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(c) 2009, Amy S. Lewis
There are so many mysteries with Ernie. Why does he chomp on his bit or flap his lip when he’s nervous? Why does he prance when he can cover more ground at a walk? Why does he always have to lead when we’re with a group? There are many days I wish he could answer my questions.
I also have a lot of questions for God. Will the people I’m praying for ever accept Christ? Why does God darken the minds of some? Why do young children get cancer and die? Why do some people’s bodies outlast their minds? Why did his plan for our salvation require Jesus to come to earth as a baby or die on a cross? After all, it’s God who said the wages of sin is death. Surely he could’ve prescribed an easier way for our sins to be forgiven.
Seek Answers in Prayer
God can only answer our questions if we bring them to him in prayer and wait on him to answer. He doesn’t mind our questions and our doubts. In Matthew, he says “Come to me all of you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Well, isn’t it when you’re struggling for answers to life’s difficult questions that you’re most burdened or weary? That’s when he says come to me.
It’s Called Faith
And like questions about Ernie go unanswered, some questions for God won’t be answered this side of heaven. Some things about God we’re not meant to know. If we knew everything about the ways of God, we would not be in awe of him when he heals the sick, reconciles marriages and gives life to sinners. Trust in the uncertainty. That’s why it’s called “faith.”
Ecclesiastes 11:5: “Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11: “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
Questions for Reflection:
1. If you could ask your horse a question or two, what would they be?
2. What questions do you have for God? Bring them to Him in prayer.
3. How can you gain a better appreciation for God’s authority today, in spite of your questions?
