November 19: Tuesday Refocus

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‘For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more.  He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry.  As soon as He hears it, He answers you.  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.  And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or to the left.’  – Isaiah 30:19-20

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There is a day when every tear bottled and wept will be wiped (Ps 56:8, Rev 21:4).

He has come, and He is coming again.

But in this paradoxical life of faith, God is no less gracious in the wilderness than in Zion.

It is the Lord Himself who has entrusted to us the bread of adversity, to form our appetites for Him, the Bread of Life.  He has given the water of affliction, but also invites us to drink deeply of Him, the Living Water.

For those consuming this meal of adversity and affliction, He does not hide Himself.  He is gracious, He answers, our eyes see and our ears hear.  He has come, and He is coming again.

‘How precious is Your steadfast love, O God!  The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.  They feast on the abundance of Your house, and you give them drink from the river of Your delights.’  [Ps 36:7-8]

Lord, let us drink deeply from whatever cup You give.  You who drank the cup the Father gave to You down to the dregs.  We drink knowing that You go with us, You go before us, and You go behind us.  Thank you, Jesus.  In Your name, amen.

He has come, He is coming again,

AB

November 12: Tuesday Refocus

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‘If I obey Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God.’ – Oswald Chambers

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To be honest, I prefer a life full of big gestures.  Visible and obvious.  A life that is not so much concerned about the inside as the outside.  God on the other hand, prefers the opposite.  The quiet and humble.  Subtle and stable, because ‘…to obey is better than sacrifice.’ (1 Sam 15:22)

But it is not in my over-the-top and inconsistent displays, but in the walk of daily-death, being yoked to Christ that I see Him clearly (Matt 10:28, 11:29).  These are pinholes of glory.

In the moments of daily obedience, I see that He is completely trustworthy.  That there is joy ahead in this eternal weight of glory and I am steadied from sprinting into this long walk of obedience in the same direction (Heb 12:2, 2 Cor 4:17).

‘He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ – Micah 6:8

God, thank You that You faithfully walk with us, even when we wander off, run ahead, and attempt blaze our own trail.  Forgive us, help us to walk humbly with You.  In Christ’s name, amen.

To walk humbly,

AB

November 5: Tuesday Refocus

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‘No one ever comes very close to God and remains proud.’ – Alan Nelson

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‘Draw near,’ is the invitation James tells us is always met with God, in turn, drawing near (4:8).  As followers of Christ we can draw near with confidence (Heb 4:16).  But make no mistake this confidence is not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:21).

As we draw near we find grace and mercy, yet still fall down as though dead (Heb 4:16, Rev 1:17).  Because no one ever draws near to God and remains proud.  But do not be afraid – His nearness is your good (Ps 73:28). 

‘When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.  But He laid His right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the Living One.  I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’ – Revelation 1:17


Lord, You know the proud from afar, but regard the lowly.  Help us draw near with full confidence in the completed work of Christ.  Thank you for being Emmanuel, the God who is with us.  We are humbled and grateful, in Christ name, amen.

Draw near,

AB

October 29: Tuesday Refocus

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‘Strengthen me that I may cling to Thee.’ – The Valley of Vision

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In fear I reach for talent, experience, career, or others to be a firm foundation, only to find all things created collapse under the weight of my need.

 

It is only through faith that I do not cling to myself, but am led to the Rock that is higher than I (Ps 61:2).

 

By faith I know I am not an orphan but an heir (Rom 8:17).

By faith I know I am never forsaken, for He is always with me (Heb 13:5).

By faith I know I am not forgotten, but the beloved of God (Eph 5:1).

By faith I know I am saved (Rom 10:9).

 

Faith is a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9). 

And in it’s strengthening I loosen my grip on the created, and cling to the Uncreated One.

Lord, thank You that our faith in You is never put to shame.  Help us hold fast, and walk closely by faith in You this week. In Christ name, amen.

In faith,

AB

October 22: Tuesday Refocus

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‘Jesus is the mercy seat, the place where sinful men may meet with the Holy God.’ – Lesslie Newbigin

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From all of the postures, positions or locations – where does God always meet His people?  The place of mercy.

In wrath, He still remembers mercy (Hab 3:2).  In the morning, His mercies are new and never ending (Lam 3:22-23).  According to His steadfast love, He blots out transgression with abundant mercy (Ps 51:1).

We may find ourselves begging as Bartimaues for Christ to ‘have mercy on me…’ And in mercy, the invitation of Christ is to draw near, and receive the mercy we so desperately desire (Mark 10:46-52).  The invitation of Christ is to God Himself, the One who says of Himself:

‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”’ Exodus 34:6-7

If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared. …hope in the LORD!  For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.  And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.  Thank You Lord, for meeting us at the place of mercy –  person of Jesus, in His name, amen. (Ps 130:3-4,7-8).

From mercy,

AB

October 15: Tuesday Refocus

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‘O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds You performed in their days, in the days of old: You with Your own hand drove out the nations… for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but Your right hand and Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You delighted in them.’ – Psalm 44:1-3

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The nations rage, our flesh is at war within us, we wrestle against rulers, authorities and cosmic powers – but we turn away, harden our hearts and have seared our conscious (Ps 2:1, Rom 7:23, Eph 6:12, Heb 3:15).

Turning away from this present darkness is not resignation, rather, an attempt to fight a battle in your own strength.  This battle requires the same arm that drives out enemies, to uphold and save heirs.  You do not have to run, hide, or fight – you have only to be still (Ex 14:14).

‘But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…’ 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

This is a battle already won.

Jesus, You have been victorious over Satan, sin and death at the cross.  You lead us in triumphal procession over our enemies, and into the very presence of the Father.  Forgive us for turning away from the wars of the world, spiritual realm, and our own hearts.  Your blood has spoken for all of these things – help us to be an aroma and fragrance of Your completed work as this battle wages on.  In Your name, amen.

Standing,

AB

October 8: Tuesday Refocus

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‘I have trusted Thee and Thou hast not betrayed my trust; waited for Thee, and not waited in vain.’ – The Valley of Vision

I have trusted myself and been disappointed.

I have trusted others and been crushed.

I have trusted the Lord and never been forsaken.

‘And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.’  Ps 9:10

I have waited for perfect timing and been inactive.

I have waited for everything to fall in place and been passed by.

I have waited on the Lord and grown strong and courageous.

‘Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!’ Ps 27:14

Lord, we trust and wait.  Not passive, not flippant, intentionally we pursue You as the One who has proven Himself trustworthy.  The One who is with us in our waiting.  We await eagerly for You, Your name and Your renown are the desires of our heart.  In Christ’s name, amen.

Trusting + waiting,

AB

September 24: Tuesday Refocus

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‘No matter how much we suffer

No matter our doubts

No matter how angry we get

No matter how many times we have asked in desperation, ‘how long?’

Prayer develops finally into praise.

Everything finds its way to the doorstep of praise.’ – Tim Keller

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We maneuver, strive, fight and expend ourselves hoping to strong-arm our circumstance into submission.  Hoping that our changing circumstance will give birth to praise.

But the doorstep of praise can be this very moment. 

Because the doorstep of praise is an altar of revelation and response:

‘…I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up… And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’ (Is 6:1,5)

This is an altar where we offer our whole self – not just the best parts of us – but even our suffering, doubts, anger and desperation (Rom 12:1, Matt 22:37).

We come to this doorstep of praise, this altar, when we recognize who God is and who we are:

‘…God is in heaven, and you are on earth, therefore let your words be few.’ – Ecc 5:2

Lord, help us to cease from our striving and offer everything back to You upon the altar, the doorstep of praise.  You are worthy of no less than all we are, and all we have, even the hidden places of contempt can be offered back in view of Your mercy.  Here we are, Lord.  In Christ name, amen.

Offering,

AB    

September 17: Tuesday Refocus

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‘It looks like I’m going to have to let go of what I expected and enter a mystery.’ – Eugene Peterson

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There is a desirable clarity in an expected life. 

Black and white. 

Easy to measure and manage.

But the life of faith lets go of the seemingly certain, and clings to the Rock that is higher than I (Ps 62:2).  The life of faith is entering a mystery.

In this mystery we see a God whose voice strips the forest bare, but also speaks tenderly to His people (Ps 29:9, Hosea 2:14).  We see a God who is good, and does good, and can even turn evil for His good purpose (Ps 119:68, Gen 50:20).  We experience God – not as distant, but One who dwells in the heart of all believers through faith (Eph 3:17).

Lord, let us be people who walk by faith into the mystery.  Deeper into the beauty of Your heart, and deeper into the brokenness of the world.  Thank You that you have chosen to reveal Yourself at all.  Let us cling to You, not our expectations, in Christ name, amen.

Entering the mystery,

AB