Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. - Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
Let me put a little spin on the phrase "wait for the LORD." I've always understood it to mean, "Sit around, pray and just wait for God to move."
In both Psalm 27:14 and Isaiah 40:31, the Hebrew word is קוה (qâvâh), which is better defined as "expect" (or, as the NIV renders it in Isaiah 40:31, "hope"). In other words, EXPECT the Lord! Be strong, be courageous, and expect God! Go do what He has called you to do, and know that He is with you. After all, God is our "ever-present help" when trouble comes (Ps. 46:1).
There is a time to wait for God to move. "I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him" (Isaiah 8:17, NIV). However, I do not personally believe the Lord is "hiding His face."
So... what is it God is calling you to do? Whatever service He has designed for you, go and do it, knowing He is right there with you the whole way.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Psalm 42:8
Today, I saw these words, and they just lifted my spirit:
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. - Psalm 42:8 (NIV)
I was struck by the beauty of the simple message. God directs His love ("commands His lovingkindness" as the KJV renders the verse) and cares for / carries me through the daylight, and His song - His promises, His protection, His guidance - sees me through the hours of darkness. He gives me the reason to praise Him, and makes my life a prayer to Him!
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. - Psalm 42:11 (KJV)
Hallelujiah!!
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. - Psalm 42:8 (NIV)
I was struck by the beauty of the simple message. God directs His love ("commands His lovingkindness" as the KJV renders the verse) and cares for / carries me through the daylight, and His song - His promises, His protection, His guidance - sees me through the hours of darkness. He gives me the reason to praise Him, and makes my life a prayer to Him!
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. - Psalm 42:11 (KJV)
Hallelujiah!!
The Word for the Day is Covet (or Gee, What A Nice Ox You Have)
"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. " - Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
Coveting. We've all been there. And it's not a good thing. The Bible warns against coveting a lot of stuff. For example, your neighbor's house (easy for me - we live in a townhouse, my neighbor's homes all look like mine). Your neighbor's wife, servants, ox and donkey. (I have no use for an ox or donkey, nor any room to store them.) Don't covet false idols, or even the precious metals they are made of. Don't covet anyone's fields or silver or clothing or finery. In Romans 13:9, Paul reduces Exodus 20:17 down to three simple words: "Do not covet."
So what exactly is coveting? Basically, it is the step beyond admiration. It is "the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does" (1 John 2:16, NIV). It's when "that's a nice bike you have" becomes "I just gotta have that bike! Or one just like it! Or one even better!!"
Coveting leads to a lot of bad places: envy, lust, general unhappiness with one's station in life. Coveting goes beyond mere real estate, spouses, precious metals and oxen. We can covet someone else's position. Do you remember the TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? Would anyone have ever watched that show had it been about Joe Average and his ordinary family, living in their three-bedroom rambler on Maple Avenue? (Perhaps... if someone in a two-bedroom house were really coveting a three-bedroom rambler.)
Coveting is just bad news. Remember that God blesses all of us, and to some He gives certain gifts He doesn't bestow on others. While we are not all equally gifted (meaning what he gives to you may not be what he gives to me, and vice versa), we are each uniquely gifted, which is much more meaningful. Likewise we are also not all equally burdened. (Look at the Hollywood starlets whose antics fill our news. They look fabulous, they live in fabulous homes, they drive fabulous cars, their dogs have fabulous collars... but would you honestly, for one minute, want their troubles?)
When we are striving for a particular career, it is easy to covet those who have already "succeeded." When we can't afford what the Joneses have, we feel cruddy about what we "possess." However, God has a plan for each of us. The career heights we hope to achieve may not be in God's plan (or perhaps just not yet). And it just may be that the Joneses really can't afford all that nice stuff they have, either. As Paul wrote, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV).
The stuff of this world - possessions, status, oxen - is all temporary. The one thing that lasts is God. When we have Jesus, what else matters? "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Timothy 6:6-10, NIV).
'Nuff said.
By the way... that sure is a nice ox you have.
Coveting. We've all been there. And it's not a good thing. The Bible warns against coveting a lot of stuff. For example, your neighbor's house (easy for me - we live in a townhouse, my neighbor's homes all look like mine). Your neighbor's wife, servants, ox and donkey. (I have no use for an ox or donkey, nor any room to store them.) Don't covet false idols, or even the precious metals they are made of. Don't covet anyone's fields or silver or clothing or finery. In Romans 13:9, Paul reduces Exodus 20:17 down to three simple words: "Do not covet."
So what exactly is coveting? Basically, it is the step beyond admiration. It is "the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does" (1 John 2:16, NIV). It's when "that's a nice bike you have" becomes "I just gotta have that bike! Or one just like it! Or one even better!!"
Coveting leads to a lot of bad places: envy, lust, general unhappiness with one's station in life. Coveting goes beyond mere real estate, spouses, precious metals and oxen. We can covet someone else's position. Do you remember the TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? Would anyone have ever watched that show had it been about Joe Average and his ordinary family, living in their three-bedroom rambler on Maple Avenue? (Perhaps... if someone in a two-bedroom house were really coveting a three-bedroom rambler.)
Coveting is just bad news. Remember that God blesses all of us, and to some He gives certain gifts He doesn't bestow on others. While we are not all equally gifted (meaning what he gives to you may not be what he gives to me, and vice versa), we are each uniquely gifted, which is much more meaningful. Likewise we are also not all equally burdened. (Look at the Hollywood starlets whose antics fill our news. They look fabulous, they live in fabulous homes, they drive fabulous cars, their dogs have fabulous collars... but would you honestly, for one minute, want their troubles?)
When we are striving for a particular career, it is easy to covet those who have already "succeeded." When we can't afford what the Joneses have, we feel cruddy about what we "possess." However, God has a plan for each of us. The career heights we hope to achieve may not be in God's plan (or perhaps just not yet). And it just may be that the Joneses really can't afford all that nice stuff they have, either. As Paul wrote, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV).
The stuff of this world - possessions, status, oxen - is all temporary. The one thing that lasts is God. When we have Jesus, what else matters? "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Timothy 6:6-10, NIV).
'Nuff said.
By the way... that sure is a nice ox you have.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Quiet Down and Loosen Up
I find myself often praying for answers. "God, why this?" "God, why not that?" "Lord, please, show me the path..." As I was praying this morning, the Lord reminded me of Psalm 46:10:
"Be still, and know that I am God..."
The word still comes from the Hebrew "râphâh" (רפה), which means to rest, relax, quiet oneself or, more literally, to loosen up. This comes from the same psalm that opens, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear..." (Psalm 46:1-2a, NIV).
Perhaps God is trying to teach us something here. Maybe it's time to ease up on trying to be in control of every little facet of life and let Him have the reigns. Maybe instead of fretting about the future, we should live in the here and now and leave what lies ahead to God.
Maybe this is the answer to all the worries that plague us.
When we (or someone we know) gets bad news from the doctor...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When life isn't going quite as planned...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When the job market isn't what we hoped for...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When the month outlasts the money...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When the family (or friends or co-workers) are giving you grief...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When the kids are giving you grief...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Whenever anything goes sour or awry or circumstances become difficult if not near-impossible to bear...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Stillness is vital, because when we let go of the worries and stresses in life, we are unblocked and better able to hear from God. In stillness with God, we find we don't necessarily need the answers, we just need the Lord.
© 2008 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved. Please share this message with someone today, and visit our website: http://contemplativeencourager.blogspot.com/
"Be still, and know that I am God..."
The word still comes from the Hebrew "râphâh" (רפה), which means to rest, relax, quiet oneself or, more literally, to loosen up. This comes from the same psalm that opens, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear..." (Psalm 46:1-2a, NIV).
Perhaps God is trying to teach us something here. Maybe it's time to ease up on trying to be in control of every little facet of life and let Him have the reigns. Maybe instead of fretting about the future, we should live in the here and now and leave what lies ahead to God.
Maybe this is the answer to all the worries that plague us.
When we (or someone we know) gets bad news from the doctor...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When life isn't going quite as planned...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When the job market isn't what we hoped for...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When the month outlasts the money...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When the family (or friends or co-workers) are giving you grief...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
When the kids are giving you grief...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Whenever anything goes sour or awry or circumstances become difficult if not near-impossible to bear...
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Stillness is vital, because when we let go of the worries and stresses in life, we are unblocked and better able to hear from God. In stillness with God, we find we don't necessarily need the answers, we just need the Lord.
© 2008 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved. Please share this message with someone today, and visit our website: http://contemplativeencourager.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Rich Toward God
"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes." - Luke 12:18-23 (NIV)
Pondering today: am I truly rich toward God? Am I trusting Him enough? What's more important - doing what He has called me to do or maintaining my barns?
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes." - Luke 12:18-23 (NIV)
Pondering today: am I truly rich toward God? Am I trusting Him enough? What's more important - doing what He has called me to do or maintaining my barns?
Friday, August 15, 2008
Trust and Turbulence
“I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” – Jeremiah 29:11-12 (NIV)
“That’s the high peaks of the Canadian Rockies.” Jay, our traveling companion, was pointing out the window at about 30,000 feet. Besides that, all we could see were grey clouds.
All the way to Japan.
We couldn’t make out any other landmarks. We flew over Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Alaska… majestic scenery beneath, to be sure. But with the exception of one sight of the very tops of the Rocky Mountain range, all we could see for the entire eleven hour trip was cloud cover.
Yet, we knew where we were (roughly). We knew where we were going (Japan, then China). And we felt very confident that we would arrive at our destinations safely.
When we trust in God, life is a bit like that flight to Japan. There were moments of discomfort on board that 747. There were bumps and turbulence during the flight. There was boredom. There was frustration. There were the 3’x3’ toilets.
But there was also adventure. There were moments I’ll never forget. There was Jay, a perfect stranger seated beside us who was a delight to get to know (and, having once lived in southeast Asia, a God-send of information and advice).
Life, too, is filled with all these things. Bumps and turbulence. Frustration. Boredom. 3’x3’ toilets. But these are not what we should concentrate on. Think about the adventure, the people God puts in our lives, the destination ahead. Ponder all the wonder God has in-store for you. It is often cloaked in stressful situations. But once we peel away the trouble, we realize that, despite the grey clouds that obscure our view, we know there is beauty and wonder in our lives at any given time. We just have to look for it.
© 2008 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved.
If you know someone who might be blessed by this message, please share it! And please visit our blog: http://contemplativeencourager.blogspot.com/
“That’s the high peaks of the Canadian Rockies.” Jay, our traveling companion, was pointing out the window at about 30,000 feet. Besides that, all we could see were grey clouds.
All the way to Japan.
We couldn’t make out any other landmarks. We flew over Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Alaska… majestic scenery beneath, to be sure. But with the exception of one sight of the very tops of the Rocky Mountain range, all we could see for the entire eleven hour trip was cloud cover.
Yet, we knew where we were (roughly). We knew where we were going (Japan, then China). And we felt very confident that we would arrive at our destinations safely.
When we trust in God, life is a bit like that flight to Japan. There were moments of discomfort on board that 747. There were bumps and turbulence during the flight. There was boredom. There was frustration. There were the 3’x3’ toilets.
But there was also adventure. There were moments I’ll never forget. There was Jay, a perfect stranger seated beside us who was a delight to get to know (and, having once lived in southeast Asia, a God-send of information and advice).
Life, too, is filled with all these things. Bumps and turbulence. Frustration. Boredom. 3’x3’ toilets. But these are not what we should concentrate on. Think about the adventure, the people God puts in our lives, the destination ahead. Ponder all the wonder God has in-store for you. It is often cloaked in stressful situations. But once we peel away the trouble, we realize that, despite the grey clouds that obscure our view, we know there is beauty and wonder in our lives at any given time. We just have to look for it.
© 2008 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved.
If you know someone who might be blessed by this message, please share it! And please visit our blog: http://contemplativeencourager.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Time to begin again...
THE VIEW FROM DOWN HERE…
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
Back in the summer of 1999, I was facing a major life change. We were preparing to move from Chicago to Minneapolis. I was leaving the company where I had been employed for a decade. I had said “yes” to God’s call to ministry. It was in the midst of all this turbulence and turmoil that I began E-ncouragement.
Life got quite busy. New job. School. Adoption. School. Teaching adult ed at our church. School.
In all the busyness of life (and, trust me, there are some weeks I think I may go mad with all the busy busy busy – way too busy - of life!), I have forgotten some things.
Important things.
Basic things.
Things I wrote about for almost nine years in E-ncouragement.
This summer, I have faced another set of major life changes. Traveling to China. Becoming first-time parents to an incredible toddler. Changing the emphasis in my master’s degree studies. Brett Favre flip-flopping between Green Bay, Tampa Bay and New York.
The stress of life has hit a fever pitch. Feels like 1999 on steroids.
It feels like the time is right to refocus. Now that the life decisions have been made and the course (somewhat, though certainly not entirely) set, it feels right to strip life down to the important aspects and focus on what I had lost sight of in all my goal-reaching and planning.
Seems like a good time to start writing again. A time to expand in teaching and ministering. A time to grow, and help others grow. There will still be stress, and very stressful times. There will still be busyness. But I need to learn how to stop and rest in the Lord. I need to not worry about the results, but only the task at hand.
And I believe I’m not the only one.
So… today, I pick up where I left off quite some months ago.
I pray you will join me on this journey as well. I won’t blog every day, but I will write on a consistent basis. It may be a struggle at first. But I pray and believe it will be a blessing.
© 2008 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved.
If you know someone who might be blessed by this message, please share it! And please visit our blog: http://contemplativeencourager.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
Back in the summer of 1999, I was facing a major life change. We were preparing to move from Chicago to Minneapolis. I was leaving the company where I had been employed for a decade. I had said “yes” to God’s call to ministry. It was in the midst of all this turbulence and turmoil that I began E-ncouragement.
Life got quite busy. New job. School. Adoption. School. Teaching adult ed at our church. School.
In all the busyness of life (and, trust me, there are some weeks I think I may go mad with all the busy busy busy – way too busy - of life!), I have forgotten some things.
Important things.
Basic things.
Things I wrote about for almost nine years in E-ncouragement.
This summer, I have faced another set of major life changes. Traveling to China. Becoming first-time parents to an incredible toddler. Changing the emphasis in my master’s degree studies. Brett Favre flip-flopping between Green Bay, Tampa Bay and New York.
The stress of life has hit a fever pitch. Feels like 1999 on steroids.
It feels like the time is right to refocus. Now that the life decisions have been made and the course (somewhat, though certainly not entirely) set, it feels right to strip life down to the important aspects and focus on what I had lost sight of in all my goal-reaching and planning.
Seems like a good time to start writing again. A time to expand in teaching and ministering. A time to grow, and help others grow. There will still be stress, and very stressful times. There will still be busyness. But I need to learn how to stop and rest in the Lord. I need to not worry about the results, but only the task at hand.
And I believe I’m not the only one.
So… today, I pick up where I left off quite some months ago.
I pray you will join me on this journey as well. I won’t blog every day, but I will write on a consistent basis. It may be a struggle at first. But I pray and believe it will be a blessing.
© 2008 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved.
If you know someone who might be blessed by this message, please share it! And please visit our blog: http://contemplativeencourager.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)