Wordy Wednesday

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For those who may be new to this blog, on Wordy Wednesdays I like to allow God's Word to speak for itself instead of me doing the writing. Sometimes I only share scripture and other times I might write just a little to accompany it. This week I'd like to share just a little.

Watching the events that have happened in Oklahoma the past few days has been heart-wrenching. Television cannot do it justice. Our minds (at least my mind) has become so accustomed to seeing destruction on television and movies that we it's hard to grasp the reality of death and destruction. We tend to get a little numb to it. The moment that hit home with me was watching video of school children shortly after the tornado ravaged their school. Children were standing there in shock. Adults were doing the best they could to comfort all the children, but they were outnumbered. I saw one little boy, perhaps ten years old, standing alone and looking shocked and frightened. I'm sure he was trying to lay eyes on a familiar face. I wanted to reach through the television and hug that child.

Even when I feel like life isn't treating me well, when I feel all alone or lost, I know that the Lord will sustain me. He's here. He's ready to reach out and put comforting arms around me. I only need to acknowledge His presence and ask for help.

Tragedy has a way of putting things in perspective. May the Lord sustain us all during these rough days.

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;

you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the Lord,

and he answered me from his holy mountain. 

I lay down and slept,

yet I woke up in safety,

for the Lord was watching over me.
I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies

who surround me on every side.

  Psalm 3:3-6

Remember the Awful and the Awesome

"Remember the awful and the awesome.

They both produce awe!" ~ Beth Moore

I heard Beth Moore say this and it really impacted me. I quickly found a piece of paper because I had to write it down. Beth was teaching on the topic of "Don't forget to remember." She reminded me that it's important for us to remember how God has worked in our lives--in the good and the bad. I never thought of how closely related these two words are: Awful and Awesome. Hmmmm.

Several months ago I wrote a post about remembering titled looking back but moving forward. My point was that we should not get stuck in the past, but to look back carefully in order to learn from it. However, it's important that we continue to move forward. Learning from our past, whether mistakes or joys, helps us in the future. And who would know better than Moses and the Israelites.

The Israelites experienced awful times and awesome times. Both produced awe in how God provided for them. Before they moved into the Promised Land, Moses instructed the people very carefully about remembering. Deuteronomy chapter 4 is filled with warnings for the Israelites such as:

• Listen carefully
• Just obey the commands of the Lord
• Don't forget what you have seen
• Pass these memories on to your children
• Remember that the Lord rescued you
• Be careful not to break the covenant the Lord has made with you
• Do not make idols
• Remember and keep it firmly in your mind

Imagine if they had not recorded these events for us to read today. It's so easy for us to read these stories and file it away in our memories like it's just another great plot line to a novel or movie. This was real!!! The awful and the awesome really happened and God wanted it recorded so that future generations would know what He had done for His people.

Likewise, it's important for us to look back at the awful and the awesome so we can remember and share how God intervened on our behalf, how He provided, how He kept His promises, and so on. On a personal note, I know first-hand how easy it is to forget both the awful and the awesome. During the past few years I've experienced both and as time wears on, the memory fades. Until something triggers a memory, I've found that I have almost forgotten how God worked out circumstances in my life. After I started this blog I found that it helps me to go back and reread some of these posts which help me remember. I also started journaling more of these awful and awesome moments. I find that when I am feeling overwhelemed or disappointed, going back to read these things I have recorded helps renew my faith. It truly does produce Awe!

In Retrospect

In the past, I usually dedicated the year-end posts to looking back at what the most popular articles have been. It's a great idea to look back and find out what story was clicked on the most. However, I don't feel the need to do that this year. First of all, I already have a little blogger widget in the right-hand column which shows the top 5 posts. It's there all the time for anyone to see. Second, I don't do typical blog things here. I try to allow the Holy Spirit to lead me in what to write about and when to write. I don't stick to a rigid writing schedule and I'm not trying to follow all the "rules" in order to make this a successful blog. Whether I have 3 or 300 readers makes no difference to me. I write for whoever the Lord leads to read this blog.

I started this blog in April of this year after spending a few years blogging for another site. This blog is more personal and is an outgrowth of my spiritual journey. As I grapple with issues and absorb what the Lord teaches me, I try to share the things that are on my heart. Personally, this year has been a strange mix of events and I've spent some time today reflecting on them. I'm still trying to make some sense of it all. As I was driving home from an appointment, I was listening to the radio and heard a song by Casting Crowns that I had never heard before. God wanted me to hear it. The song was called Already There. The lyrics to the song really helped me remember that even though all sorts of random events may be occurring, God sees them all as a memory. He's already there at the end of my life looking at it from that perspective and everything makes sense. From my perspective, nothing seems to make sense and I'm always looking for answers. God has a different perspective than we do and, unlike me, is not bound by time (minutes, hours, days, weeks, years). 

I decided to look up the song on YouTube. The first thing I found was not the official song but a short video from the artist explaining the meaning behind the song. I loved watching this video and want to share it with you here. If you are struggling to make sense of events in your life, watch this short video and then listen to the actual song. Remember that God is always in control and He knows what you are going through because He's already there seeing your life in retrospect.
   
 

 

Casting Crowns: behind the song "Already There"

Looking Back, but Moving Forward

A friend and I were recently talking about life changes and the past. She sometimes struggles with how often she should revisit the past. Her thought was that it's good to revisit the past because so much can be learned from it. But on the flip-side of that coin it's important not to dwell in the past. So what's the healthy balance?

We've probably all known someone who tended to live in the past. Sometimes it's evident by their appearance or the things they do or say. Many people do this because it's a place where they were most happy and/or comfortable. Some of that behavior may be harmless. Then there are those who are reliving the past over and over again because they are still working through unhappy memories, bitterness, or issues. They haven't come to terms with whatever happened and so their life is "on hold." Our Enemy loves for us to get stuck in the past, dredging up old painful memories. His purpose is to keep us from fulfilling God's plan for our lives. 

As my friend shared this struggle a word picture came to my mind. I was visualizing how a driver must regularly look in the rear view mirror to see what's behind her. Glances in that direction are vitally important to a driver for her safety and well-being. However, the driver must keep her main focus on the road before her. My friend helped expand this word picture by adding a great point. A new driver needs practice learning how to glance back at the proper intervals and not become distracted. Only when a driver matures does she learn these techniques.


What does the Word tell us about the past?

The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger. ~ Job 17:9

“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. ~ Isaiah 43:18-19

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. ... I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. ~ Philippians 3:7-9, 12-14

We should keep an eternal perspective on our past, present, and future, staying focused on God and His path for us. Remember what God has done and share these things with others, but continue moving forward, pressing on to the end of the race. If you're not looking where you're going, you may miss out on something really great!

What keeps you stuck in the past?