Do you keep a list?

I started a list this week.
It's a list of promises.

If your dad said he'd take you to dinner.
And made plans to meet you on Friday,
but instead you made plans Friday
to do other things,
he would no longer be obligated
to take you to dinner.

We have a part to play in our Father's promises.
We don't "earn them"
we just "take him up on his offer".
I have a bad memory,
so I started writing his promises down
(because I don't want to miss out on all his cool offers!).
This was yesterday's promise:

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires."

There are ton's of desires in my heart.
As I thought about this offer,
I started thanking God
(when desires came to mind).
I thanked him for all the sweet gifts
he's given me in the past
and I talked with him about the things
I was longing for now.

I delighted in the fact
that he likes to give me good gifts,
and I know for sure,
that if it's best for me,
he will give me these gifts too. :)

What are some of the desires of your heart?
For that matter,
what are some of the promises you hold on to
(maybe I could add them to my list)?

Submit

I really hate that word.
I don't even like the word hate.
But the word "submit" brings out the worst in me.
maybe that's the point, though.

God asked me to do this.
Well not just me
all of us
(who follow Him).

Submission starts when
we are captured by His love.
And we simply must have more of it.
We crave it
long to dive in,
wish to be consumed by it.

In the process,
we submit
to God's invitation
for relationship.

We surrender our life to God.
We ask that His life would fill us
and we would be transformed by it.
We ask that His Word would change us
and His will would be our guide.

Wait.
I think that all gives me too much credit.
Honestly, God in His kindness
offers me freedom from the
things that have me enslaved.

In foolishness,
I (for a time) rebeled from His offer.
Thinking somehow the captors
offer me joy (more rewarding)
than the freedom,
peace and joy
the Lord offered.

Perhaps that is the cruelest thing
about our flesh.
It fears and despises the freedom
we are given as a reward,
as our inheritance!

The lie is that our freedom
is more restrictive than captivity.
The lie is that His joy
is somehow less than
the futile (temporary) counterfeit high,
offered by our enemy.

The lie is that we will have less
if we submit our will
to Him.

Perhaps you have no problem with all that.
Perhaps the problem only arises when we are told to
submit to a human.

God is your authority.
Not humans.
Maybe your flesh feels "safe" in this thought.
And "unsafe" about submitting to a human
(even one in authority over you).

They might hurt you.
They might lead you wrongly.
They might take away your freedom.
But you gave your freedom to God.
And He gave you freedom from your captor
(sin, Satin, and death.)

If you obey the Lord and submit to:
your parents,
your spouse,
your boss,
and all Christians,
you are submitting to God's command.

If you do not submit to:
your parents,
your spouse,
your boss,
and all Christians,
you are not submitting to God's commands
or God.

It is not possible to obey God,
without obeying God.

Maybe you have no problem with all this,
unless there is abuse.
Let's face it,
humans abuse power,
and those under them.

Two things give me consolation as I meditate on this.
1-God is all powerful (not impotent).
2-I am God's.

He will not let me suffer apart from
His will,
protection
and provision.

The working out of the details
when it comes to abuse
of all kinds,
is a matter of the Holy Spirit's guidance

and the guidance of those
whom God puts in your life to help you.
He did not leave us as orphans.
He guides,
protects,
advises
and consoles.
He rescues,
redeems,
and uses all things for our good.

We can trust Him.

God bless you as you take your will to obey,
and surrender to His will,
His love motivated,
perfect will,
for you and your life,
salvation,
sanctification,
and eternal joy.

What if I told you "I have an agenda"?

It makes me feel uncomfortable
when I realize someone is trying to say something
other than what they are saying.

Politicians don't ever answer questions anymore,
they just wait for a chance to speak.
Wait for a chance to promote their agenda,
looking for a segue,
into what they want to talk about.

So is it wrong to have a thing that motivates you?
A thing that colors all that you say,
all that you do?
A passion so strong,
that even as you focus on one thing,
it only has meaning if it's flavored by your main thing?

I realized I have an agenda.
I'm not always true to it (sadly).
Sometimes I get distracted,
I swerve off the path and head in a less than productive direction.
But when it comes to the heart and soul of my identity,
my passion
when distilled into purity
my passion is a reaction
to a rescuing love of God for me.
And the reaction
is to love God back
and love those whom He created.

My heart longs for this love to permeate all that I do.
I wish and hope and pray that my words would be flavored by this love.
I wish and hope and pray that my actions would display this love.
I wish and hope and pray that my prayers would be filled with the will of this love.
My agenda, is to testify about this love.

To the extent that I am transparent in this,
it is to His glory.
to the extent that I hide this,
or fail in anyway to hold this out,
that would be to my shame.
yet another sin that nailed my Lord to the cross.
One more bit that He suffered to redeem me.

Oh God let me hold fast to the Word of life.
Let me live well.
Let me love well.
Let me pray well.
For your glory,
and my purest longest lasting joy,
Amen