Saturday, July 30, 2011

A Longing

There is this longing in me for something more, for something greater. I feel unfulfilled, unsatisfied by where I am at. There is a burning passion inside me that I can't seem to target what it is for. Opportunities arise and there are many directions I can go in this life, but I don't know where to go or where I want to go. It's so confusing! I don't feel settled in any one thing. It's like one day I believe I should be going overseas, another day I feel called to urban ministry's in the US, and other days I feel called to Marion. It's a confusing twist, and many times I just want to do it all, take on the world. I have no idea where I'm going, where God is going to use my gifts and talents. I think part of it may be my lack of reliance on Him, feeling unsatisfied because part of me still wants my hearts desires, which are not always focused around God.
One thing I know for a fact is that I want to serve God, to serve His people, to serve the lost and hurting and to set the captives free. God has laid so many burdens on my heart. A burden for the fatherless, a burden for those who do not have a voice, a burden for those who are trapped in lies that they can't seem to break free from. I want people to see themselves for who God has created them to be. To see themselves as beautiful and strong. To know that God has equipped every person in this world with unique and awesome gifts that no one else has. And to see people experience the freedom that comes from knowing that there is a God who is there for you!

Monday, July 18, 2011

A boxed God?

Where do we get off thinking that we know better than God? How come we are constantly trying to fit God into our box, into the person we want Him to be, and constantly fail to allow God to be God? How can we question what God does, expressing how God could possibly do this or that if He were a loving God?
One of the most powerful statements God makes in the Bible is stating "I am". Really, I am? What does that mean? It means God is all there is. God is everything. Within this statement, God is presenting His ultimate being. No matter what God does, He is perfect, what happens is part of His eternal plan.
So many things that God does throughout the Old Testament make me think, "This is not the God that I know. The God I know would not do that!" How arrogant of me! The pridefulness of putting an infinite God in a box! To think that I would know God better than He knows Himself, how ridiculous is that! We did not make God into our image, but we are made in the image of God. We are His, He is not ours. So many times we try to fit God into this person that we can deal with, that we understand, when the Truth is we will never fully understand God, and some of the actions He makes will not make sense to our human minds.
In the end, God is God and we are man. We try so hard to identify God through words, but God transcends words, He transcends our knowledge, and words are the only way that we can begin to identify His characteristics, but they are limiting. We must understand this fact, that words can't explain God, He is greater than any words. Let's not fall into this trap of holding God within our box. Let's allow God to be God!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Just takes a little faith!


"If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her, "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.

As I read through Matthew 9 and 10 this continually pops up, "Your faith has healed you!" What!?!?! These people believed that Jesus could heal and that faith healed them. Jesus tells us to have the faith of a little child, not limiting ourselves by what we have seen happen, but believing and having faith that God really can do anything. These people were ordinary people, no scholars or prophets, but people who had the faith of a mustard seed. As we grow older we become so logical, thinking everything has to make sense and everything has it's routine. We think this is how life is, we fall into this routine where everything happens the same way every time, people get sick, go to the doctor and let them take care of it. So are we saying that God can no longer heal in the ways He used to? Or are we just showing a lack of faith? Why can't God still heal in this way? We should believe in the power of the Almighty. Even in the little things, God cares about us. He calls us to seek Him, to ask for things and He will grant them. God wants to display His power, His might, and His majesty. He wants to heal and set the prisoners free, but we fail to offer this freedom to those around us. We fail to make known the greatness of our Lord and Savior. WHY? Why are we so scared of what others might think. If our God is for us, than who can be against us! We love the apostles and we love the work they do. As we read through the New Testament we think, "Wow, now this guy was great!" We read their books and gain knowledge, but we fail to see their true purpose. To bring healing to the captives. We are in the same situation they were, holding the Truth that can set the prisoners free, but we fail to be bold and persistent like these men. We need this faith, faith that God can do anything, and that everyone should experience the freedom and peace that comes with knowing and trusting God. May we find this faith. The faith of a mustard seed!