"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." ~ John 3:8 I love this verse! It whispers to me of the mystery of Trust, of the security and freedom to be found in surrender. Why am I excited about surrender? Because: "He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." ~ James 4:6-8, 10 Solomon tells us that God "mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble." (Proverbs 3:34) That's why James exhorts us to "Submit yourselves, then, to God." Jesus himself prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)
All these speak of laying down our own agenda to embrace that of the Father. His plans, His ways are so much higher and better than our own. But we fearfully turn away from them to lay our own railway track over an abyss. How utterly foolish! How pitifully futile. My dad explained it once that the grace of God is like a strong wind. Have you ever tried to walk facing into a 30 mph wind? It's not easy. What if we were to turn around (repent) and go the same direction the wind is going? What a difference it would make! If you were driving, your gas mileage would be great. ;) The opposing force has now become an enabling force. The wind didn't switch which way it was going; we did. God is always the same—yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) The Spirit-wind will not stop blowing or change direction just because we decide we have a "better idea" than what God would have us do. When we humble our hearts before Him, acknowledging His greatness, His infinite wisdom, His RIGHTeousness, He "lifts us up" like eagles soaring on a current of supernatural favor and strength. "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." ~ 1 Peter 5:5-11 A door into a room usually only swings one way. If I try to push on a door that says "Pull," or vice-versa, I might grow frustrated and complain that the door is "stopping" me. However, it's only a matter of submitting my preconceived ideas about how the door should have been hung and following the instructions. Did the door lock itself when it saw me coming? Of course not. Was someone on the other side of it pressing hard so I couldn't get in? Not likely. What shall we conclude then? If we continue in our obstinacy, chances are we'll be getting nowhere fast. I'd rather soar.
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For me, whether it's naming a kitten, a company, or a blog, the creative process is marked by careful deliberation. The name must capture the essence of what it represents, be easy to say aloud, and ideally have a deeper meaning found in Scripture.
As I often find that others have good insights into who I am, I asked for suggestions on titles for my blog. No prize was offered, but I still got some good feedback. : ) Tablet of my Heart is the one that grew on me the most. It's one I thought of myself, but the idea was sparked by a comment my brother made. (Stick around long enough, and you'll find that the guiding wisdom of said sibling is not an anomaly...) He reminded me how I'd chosen my email address, basing it on one of my favorite verses in Proverbs. So, while the verse at the top comes out of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, the initial inspiration slid in from Proverbs 3:3. This led me to do a short study on the word "tablet" in the Bible. The majority of times used it refers to the stone tablets given to Moses carrying the divine inscription of the ten commandments. A few times it indicates the inscription of a divine prophecy. When the priest Zachariah tells his relatives of the name given by God for his son, he does so by means of a writing tablet. The remainder of times the word "tablet" is used, it expressly refers to a human heart. The book of Proverbs urges us to write kindness, truth (in some versions, "love and faithfulness"), and the teaching of wisdom on our hearts. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promises to remove our "hearts of stone" and give us "hearts of flesh." When explaining the new covenant we have with God through Christ, the writer of Hebrews quotes the prophet Jeremiah: "And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 'THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,' He then says, 'AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.' " (Heb. 10:15-17) In the 2 Corinthians verse I used in the blog's heading, it all pulls together. We ourselves are Christ's letter—a message directly from God. Engraved not on stone hearts, but on human hearts of flesh, also given to us by God. Written by God himself, just like it says in Exodus 32:16: "The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets." A message for whom? Verse two tells us the message is for everyone to know and read. Hold on a sec. Everyone is going to read my heart? Sounds like a lot of pressure....But if we read on through the chapter, we see that by knowing the message doesn't come from ourselves, we can have great liberty, boldness, and confidence through Christ to share that message. So that's my hope. That as you get to know me by literally, in this case, reading what is on my heart—you might "look intently" at the glory of the One who has written the story of my life, and be transformed through that gaze. |
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