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Articles from June 2015

The Desires of Our Heart: Trust in the Lord

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“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4 seems a little short and simple to study for a full week, but the longer I sit with these two verses, the more I’m finding new troves of treasure in each of them. Truthfully, I find myself focusing on that last part – the Lord giving me the desires of my heart – with much more excitement and passion than I feel in the instructions before those words. I spend so much time chasing a calling or a desire of my heart, that I forget the instructions he has so beautifully laid out before me: Trust in Me. Do good. Dwell in the land. Befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in Me. 

I’d love to spend this week together turning our attention to those things and seeing how the Lord transforms and grants us the desires of our hearts when we put things in their right order.

 

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Psalm 37:3

MondayI grew up going to some form of camp in the summers, and then in college, I worked for a youth ministry and put together camps. Ever participated in a trust fall? I remember one where you had to fall from a lifted platform to your entire team down below … and I also remember being thrilled that I didn’t end up having time to participate in that one! I like to think of myself as a go-with-the-flow type of person, and as pretty trusting, but I was not about to freefall into the arms of my teammates without any backup plan or assurance that all would be well.

As easygoing and as trusting as I may be, I still like to have a little bit of control. I like to know what I’m in for, and I like to know at least a shadow of what’s ahead. Unfortunately, I’m learning life doesn’t happen like that.

When Jesus called Peter out of the boat and onto the water, Peter had no idea what was going to happen. I don’t think Peter expected to step out of the boat and stand on top of the waves. He simply knew who Jesus was, and he trusted that whatever was about to happen – Jesus was taking care of it.

To trust the Lord, to trust anyone really, we have to get to know the person. We have to see him as trustworthy. Spending time with the Father and reflecting on our journey with Him this far in life allows us to see His trustworthiness. Choosing to trust allows us to step out of the boat whenever and wherever He calls us.

A little less than a year ago, while I was relearning what it looks like to trust the Lord, I wrote this in my journal as I felt Him speaking, and I feel as if it’s a word we all need to hear from Him.

I know you.

I know your heart and your desires. I know what I have created you for. When what’s to come is overwhelming, look up. Look to me, because I know you. I can be trusted – release the burden of distrust and step into new, beautiful places of trust and reckless abandon.

I know you. And I love you … not in spite of knowing you, but because I know you.

I know you. Trust Me.

Chelsey

“Creating a Rhythm to Remember what God Has Done.”

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David, known as the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” wrote many songs throughout his lifetime. Whether he was offering words of lament, gratitude, worship or wisdom, David freely expressed the depth of his heart. One of my favorite songs lies tucked in the book of I Chronicles, chapter 16. Here, David writes a song of thanks after the ark has been brought into Jerusalem and placed in the tent. His heart is fixed on the Lord as He powerfully worships him for who He is and what He has done throughout the ages. This week we will spend time examining five verses of his song so that we can get a deeper sense of what it looks like to wholeheartedly honor the Lord.

 

“Creating a Rhythm to Remember what God Has Done.”

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered. 

I Chronicles 16:12

questonWe have taken note of how David invites fellow worshippers of God to thank Him, to sing to Him, to celebrate Him, and to look for Him. Each of these overlap with one another and enable us to engage in the final portion of his song. In verse 12 David encourages us to remember the wondrous things God has done, His miracles as well as the judgments or decisions He made. This act of remembering is an ancient tradition that was part of their heritage. After sparing His chosen people from imminent destruction, God instructed them to remember His goodness and faithfulness through annual celebrations and feasts (Exodus 12:14-20). To this day, the Jews remember their deliverance from Haman during Purim and their deliverance from slavery during Passover and the rededication of the temple during Chanukah. These traditions were all developed because of God’s command to remember.

As Christians, we can easily forget God’s goodness. Our unwillingness to take time and remember what He has done, both throughout history as well as within the confines of our own story, prevents us from really seeing and marveling in His wondrous power. Even though we may only be in the habit of corporately celebrating who He is at Christmas and Easter, it’s never too late to find a way to regularly remember what God is doing in our own lives. Together we can do this as we gather in our Bible studies, prayer groups, Sunday School classes or even during our regular walks with others. Individually, we can intentionally record His works, His miracles and His decisions in a special journal. I have always wanted to string a pearl, bead or stone on a special string each time I see God clearly working in my life. My unique strand would constantly remind me of His constant activity in my life and in the lives of those around me.

What will you do to remember what God has done yesterday and today? Take some time to prayerfully consider how you will be more intentional in honoring Him for His great deeds.

Jackie

“Finders, Keepers: Looking for God and Finding Something Beautiful.”

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David, known as the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” wrote many songs throughout his lifetime. Whether he was offering words of lament, gratitude, worship or wisdom, David freely expressed the depth of his heart. One of my favorite songs lies tucked in the book of I Chronicles, chapter 16. Here, David writes a song of thanks after the ark has been brought into Jerusalem and placed in the tent. His heart is fixed on the Lord as He powerfully worships him for who He is and what He has done throughout the ages. This week we will spend time examining five verses of his song so that we can get a deeper sense of what it looks like to wholeheartedly honor the Lord.

 

“Finders, Keepers: Looking for God and Finding Something Beautiful.”

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 

I Chronicles 16:11

Hiker woman looking forward in the snowy mountain with her hand on forehead

As a kid I always loved when my mother would buy us puzzle books for long car trips. My favorite activities were always the hidden pictures, detecting the differences in two similar pictures, and the word searches. I would feel a deep sense of satisfaction when I found everything on the list. I felt even more pleased with myself when I finished before any of my sisters. I would always proudly declare that I was the best “looker” of them all. Pun intended!

Even though I haven’t done seek and find puzzles in a long time, I’m still looking for many different things on a daily basis. Sometimes, the object of my search is tangible, like my keys, or my other shoe, or a recipe that’s been on my mind. Often, what I am seeking, however, is wisdom, a resolution, or a clear direction. These are the explorations that wear me down the most. I overanalyze everything and wonder if what I am seeing or reading or feeling is somehow indicative of what I need. “Is this a sign, God?” or “Are you trying to tell me that I should wait or keep stepping forward?” Wanting to remain in His will, I can often get exhausted by constantly tuning into the details around me.

In God’s Word, the command to seek is most often coupled with the word Lord or Him. The literal meaning in Hebrew is “to seek His face or His presence.” Even though we know that He is always in our midst, we must be intentional to look for Him. Our flesh easily lures us to focus on other things apart from the beauty of God’s presence. In a sermon about seeking God, John Piper once said, “This setting of the mind is the opposite of mental coasting; it is a conscious choice to direct the heart to God.”

When I can switch my focus to searching for Him instead of obsessively looking for other things, I powerfully encounter Him everywhere I go. On a walk I see Him in the beautiful details of His creation. In a conversation with a dear friend, I experience His love as she listens to me and encourages me. When I look at my kids, I see his incredible creativity and humor in the way that he mixed and matched my genes with my husband’s. Whenever we fix our gaze on Him instead of frantically searching for the path, we will experience what we are really looking for: His presence and His peace. And then, in His perfect way, He will eventually lead and direct us to the decision or detail we originally desired.

Jackie