Category: Random Thoughts

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Sometimes…

Sometimes life is great and my time with God is wonderful and productive. Sometimes life sucks and it seems my time with God is like the car stuck in the mud simply spinning its wheels. So where do I learn more? I guess the answer to that is what it is God is trying to teach me.

The “sometimes life is good” learning is deep, rich and rewarding. Writing, teaching, blogging, and tweeting simply flow out of the things I am learning.

The “sometimes life sucks” learning is a lot harder to understand. Often this is where I have to roll up my sleeves, strap me into a chair and start doing the “mechanical” things of being a Christ-follower. In the moment it doesn’t seem like I am learning anything. I wonder why I even bother. Writing is tough, teaching is dry, and my social presesence goes away. When life is a little less sucky, and I reflect back on this time I see that I have learned valuable things – perseverance, finishing well, dependency on God and other, and often times I have a new perspective on scriptures I may have studied in the past.

I don’t wish the life sucks times on anyone, but then again it can be a time of crying out to God, read many of the Davic Psalms [David had a lot of life sucks moments], it is time to fall back to the basics, it is a time to rely on others in your community [not always an easy thing to do].

If you find yourself in a life sucks moment, turn to God, turn to others, reach for that daily devotional, and persevere in your pursuit of God. He is there with you, walking along side you, just waiting for you to reach out your hand so He can take hold of it.

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Knowing God – Through a Psalm of Lament

I have suffered froim bouts of depression for years. Maybe that is why when King David writes about his times of despair they ring so true to me. Granted I don’t have peole trying to kill me, at least I don’t think I do :), but depression can cause one to feel very alone, affaid,tired, and more – all thinks David writes about in his lament psalms.

The thing that David knows about God and what I need to remember is that God is with us. God is our shelter we can run into when times are tough, when our struggles over whelm us. Knowing God and knowing that He is alway there gives us the glimmer of hope that can light up the darkness that at times can engulf us. From Psalm 57 David writes:

7 I’m ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe, Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune: 8 “Wake up, soul! Wake up, harp! wake up, lute! Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!” 9 I’m thanking you, God, out loud in the streets, singing your praises in town and country. 10 The deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness. 11 Soar high in the skies, O God! Cover the whole earth with your glory! The Message

Knowing God – knowing that God is there, that He loves us, know that He is our shelter even when we feel alone and so far away. So in those moment of lonelyness, despair, or trouble – don’t run away but rather run toward God who is there for you.

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Knowing God – Haggai

I don’t know what it is but I really enjoy reading Haggai. Maybe because it is a story set within a larger story or maybe it is because every now and then I need a Haggai to come into my life and ask the question “Why are you spinning your wheels in vain when God wants to engage with you?” I have to admit there are times when I get caught up in my own stuff and forget about spending time with God. This leads me to another “Knowing God” point.

In the case of the Haggai and the remnant they had neglected working on the temple while they went about doing their own thing. To the remnant the temple represented where God would meet with them. It was where the priest would enter in and make the sacrifices to God. God desired to have this meeting place, but the people turned their back on it.

From this I know that God desires to meet with us, to have a place where we can worship Him, a place where we can spend time with Him. This happens at both the community level – church, small groups, etc. – and at the personal level – quiet time, reflections, pondering, prayer. What I need to do is not get so busy in my life that I forget to meet with God at both these places.