Real Life - A Weekly Blog Devotional

Recently, I attended the wedding of Scout the Dog and Jessica Bear.

Boy the Bear officiated the ceremony.

Guests like Sarah the Doll enjoyed dancing, cake, and watching the happy couple open their gifts.

My daughters planned this event in their bedroom and pulled off a pretty decent wedding. They even remembered the most important detail: Scout and Jessie each said, “I Do.”

Watching my girls set up the wedding for their stuffed animals and seeing their imagination hard at work, I was struck by the fact that they instinctively knew that Scout and Jessie were not actually married until those words were uttered.

It reminded me of an analogy I read in a book called The Search For Significance by Robert S. McGee.

An engaged couple may intellectually know they want to marry each other, and they probably feel very close to one another but until they willfully say, “I do” to each other, they’re not married. Many people are at this point in their relationship with Christ. They need to say “I do” to Him.

As I planned this week’s devotion, I felt there would be someone reading this who would be able to relate. You’ve shown up, you’re wearing the pretty dress, you’ve gone through the motions of the ceremony, but when it comes to saying the vows, when it comes to letting go of control of your own life, you’ve never said “I do” to Jesus.

More of God’s Word:

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
-Revelation 22:17

From God’s Word:
Click and Read Matthew 14:22-33

Key Verse:
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” - Matthew 14:30 (NIV)

I made a startling discovery this week.

There are some awesome people out there doing some amazing things for the Lord, and I DON’T MEASURE UP!

When the kids are tucked in for the night, I love to put my feet up, grab my laptop, and surf my favorite blogs. There are some that I follow on a regular basis and look forward to seeing what has been going on in the lives of my blogging buddies. This week, it became clear to me that my blogging buddies are stellar people. I came across stories of people feeding the hungry, traveling to Africa to serve orphans and other ministries, families adopting here and abroad, people reaching out and ministering to hurting people. Others who are missionaries far from home.

A great wave of discouragement rolled over me. Inventory of my life showed much lacking: Inconsistent prayer life, no time in the Word, nothing done to meet the spiritual or physical needs of hurting people. In my own estimation, I’ve been boring, blah, and of little value to the Kingdom of God.

As I pushed my stroller along the greenbelt on Thursday afternoon, I prayed about the situation. And I got a strange answer.

The Holy Spirit said to my heart, “Turn your eyes off of yourself and on to the glory of Jesus.”

I remembered Peter walking on the water to meet Jesus. As long as his eyes were locked on the Lord, he was doing the miraculous, but as soon as he took his eyes off the Lord, looked at the waves and thought about his own inability to do what he was doing, he sank.

When my eyes and focus are locked on Jesus, I will reflect His glory to this hurting world. When I’m stuck focusing on myself and my sin and failures, I get nowhere other than discouraged. My eyes this week have been on the wrong person.

Awhile ago, I read about a mom who was seriously struggling to love her adopted teenage daughter. She confided in a missionary friend how difficult this girl was to love. The missionary told her, “Quit working so hard to love her. Instead focus on loving God. That is where you will find the ability to love her.”

God’s purpose in my life is to make me more and more like Jesus. Focusing on my sin and failures won’t make me more like Jesus. Focusing on Jesus will make me more like Jesus.

Personal Application:

Read this excerpt from Andrew Murray’s book Humility:

Being occupied with self, even having the deepest self-abhorrence can never free us from self. Not to be fully occupied with your sin but to be fully occupied with God brings deliverance from self. This gives us the answer to the question so often asked and seldom clearly understood: How can I die to self? Death to self is not your work: it is God’s work.

Commit today to turn your eyes off of yourself and on to the Lord Jesus, desiring to know Him more, so you can reflect Him more. That is when you will make a significant impact on this hurting world.

Father,

In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen

More of God’s Word:

1. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

2. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NIV)

Turning my eyes to Jesus,

From the Word:
Click and Read Isaiah 55:6-11

Key Verse:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. -Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)

Yesterday, I went on a field trip to the zoo with my daughter’s Kindergarten class. The highlight of the trip for me was seeing this guy:

My friend, Daiquiri, took this picture with a simple digital camera and no zoom lens. We were literally this close to him, the only thing separating us was a sheet of glass. It was surreal to be so close to a lion. Awe inspiring, really.

Mildly curious, but undisturbed by the strange humans oohing and awing over him, he lounged right by the front of the cage the entire time we were in front of him. He almost appeared cuddly, like I could reach out and pat his furry mane or snuggle up next to him for a nap. But then I saw the scars on his face and realized, this guy is for real. He’s not some play thing or a pet. He’s dangerous and unsafe. Thank goodness for that glass between us!

The adults seemed to have a healthy respect for him, but the kids were clueless of how dangerous he was as they climbed on the outside of the exhibit and pounded on the glass. Many grew bored with it all and wanted to move on, while their parents stood and stared.

“How often do we see God this way?” I wondered. As clueless little children, forgetting His majesty and power, expecting Him to be “cuddly” and “safe” and to do our own bidding, according to our own will?

C.S. Lewis wove a similar theme throughout his Chronicles of Narnia series. In the books, Aslan the Lion represents Christ. Often the characters are reminded that Aslan is “not a tame Lion.” He is powerful, merciful, loving, kind, and trustworthy, but he is not tame, predictable, controllable, or even safe.

I love this quote from Lewis’ novel, The Last Battle:

Do you think I keep him in my wallet, fools?” said Tirian. “Who am I that I could make Aslan appear at my bidding? He’s not a tame lion.”

I enjoyed watching Disney’s movie version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where this concept appeared again through this scene:

Mr. Tumnus: [of Aslan] He’s not a tame lion.

Lucy Pevensie: No… but he is good.

What a MIGHTY God we serve! How worthy of our worship! How strong on our behalf! Thank God that He is not safe, not a puppet who dances at our whims, nor a small thing to be contained in the box of our limited understanding. He is HUGE, MAJESTIC, AWESOME, and not at all tame.

Yet, He loves me. He always acts in my defense and on my behalf. All that He does is good, even when I don’t understand it. How safe that makes me feel!

And He loves you. Even when He isn’t doing what you think He should. Even when His ways are incomprehensible to you, when it feels like He is doing it all wrong, remember that He isn’t tame, but He is GOOD.

Personal Application:
Are there circumstances in your life where God isn’t acting as you think He should? Take time to confess your desire to control and tame Him. Ask His forgiveness and worship Him despite the circumstances.

I’m not sure who said this, but it fits, “If God were small enough to understand, He wouldn’t be big enough to worship.” God is worthy of our worship. AND He is knowable. We can snuggle up to Him and feel safe and protected, unlike the lion at the zoo. We just can’t expect to control Him.

Father, I worship You. Your ways are not my ways. I submit to Your perfect will. Forgive me for the times I have been more concerned about my own will than Yours and expected you to do my bidding. Thank you for your forgiveness and patience with me. Thank you that in the midst of your majesty and power, you love me, and know me, and have my best interest at heart. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen

More of God’s Word:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen. - Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)