Then your light will break forth like the dawn…
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer…
Then your light will rise in the darkness…
Then you will find your joy in the LORD…
All these “thens” sound wonderful, don’t they? But something should always come before a “then”. We need to read Isaiah 58 carefully to understand what comes before these ones.
God rebuked His people harshly for their empty spirituality. They would fast in order to please God and yet they would treat the people around them terribly at the same time. Their fasting would go hand-in-hand with exploitation and conflict. (Kind of like when I fast and I get grumpy with the kids when my blood-sugar level becomes too low.)
It’s so for easy for our worship to God – our service, our ministry, our giving to become like the Israelites’ fasting. It can become something we just do out of routine, or even worse for a kind of righteousness. And we can start to wonder – what’s the point? Where’s my blessing? Where's my joy?
We can get it so wrong?
God, through Isaiah told them what He wants:
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Isaiah 58:5-7
God doesn’t just want empty routine. Our activity doesn’t impress Him. He wants all of us – completely engaged with His life and mission. Not just our hands but our heads and our hearts as well. Not just to give money but to share our own food with the hungry – and even our whole selves as well (v10).
Instead of considering our actions first, we should put others’ needs first. We can put others first by engaging in God’s will in opposing injustice, slavery and poverty; to see His Kingdom come and His will done here on earth. As we do this, as we give our whole selves, God’s blessing is released to us. It’s not a pay off for doing good things, but it is as we participate in His divine purpose that His divine power is released into our lives.
That’s how the “thens” come. As we shine God’s light into darkness, His light shines deeper into our lives bringing life, healing, fulfilment – and joy!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Giving joyfully
Freely you have received, freely give. Jesus (Matthew 10:8b)
Hans is my neighbour. He is a really generous guy. Since before we even moved in he was looking for ways to help us lend us things that we need. There was the time when I needed an extension lead. And another time when I needed to borrow his wheelbarrow. There was a time when I was between lawnmowers and being able to lend his blessed me heaps. I thank God for Hans.
The other week Hans got my attention from across the fence. He said that his mower had broken down and wondered if he could borrow mine. I replied very positively. I didn’t have to think about. I seriously felt full of joy and literally ran to the shed to get it out and bring it around to his house. And went back inside still beaming and proudly told Sarah starting to realise how much I had enjoyed the opportunity.
I have received freely from my neighbour. And I was so glad to get a chance to give freely back. I think I learnt something about what it can be like to be a cheerful giver (1 Corinthians 9). The only thing I felt compelled by was joy itself.
How much more have I received from Father God! And so freely!
What if I saw opportunities to give to Him this way?
What amazing joy would I experience?!
God has been so incredibly generous to me. What if I truly realised it?
What if I always gave - whether giving money, time, energy or gifts - that freely and joyfully?
Hans is my neighbour. He is a really generous guy. Since before we even moved in he was looking for ways to help us lend us things that we need. There was the time when I needed an extension lead. And another time when I needed to borrow his wheelbarrow. There was a time when I was between lawnmowers and being able to lend his blessed me heaps. I thank God for Hans.
The other week Hans got my attention from across the fence. He said that his mower had broken down and wondered if he could borrow mine. I replied very positively. I didn’t have to think about. I seriously felt full of joy and literally ran to the shed to get it out and bring it around to his house. And went back inside still beaming and proudly told Sarah starting to realise how much I had enjoyed the opportunity.
I have received freely from my neighbour. And I was so glad to get a chance to give freely back. I think I learnt something about what it can be like to be a cheerful giver (1 Corinthians 9). The only thing I felt compelled by was joy itself.
How much more have I received from Father God! And so freely!
What if I saw opportunities to give to Him this way?
What amazing joy would I experience?!
God has been so incredibly generous to me. What if I truly realised it?
What if I always gave - whether giving money, time, energy or gifts - that freely and joyfully?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Living Lightly
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Jesus (Matthew 11:23-30)
New Year’s and summer holidays are a great time to reset for a new year. And thanks to God, my family has been able to get a bit better at living lightly this year. As we’ve focussed on God together as a family, prayed together and kept things positive we’ve gotten a bit better at smiling and laughing even when a lot seems to be going on.
But as life sometimes becomes full of activity, it’s easy for activity to become the focus of life. We can become engaged with doing rather than being, with the activities themselves instead of the people around us. Life quickly starts to feel busy, heavy and gets out of the wonderful, “unforced rhythms of grace”, that come from the life of God.
But how do we get out of ‘activity mode’? How can we get back to living out of the overflow of real life from God? I’m not satisfied to presume that there is nothing we can do about it. We’re grown-ups. We can say no. We can exercise self-control. We don't have to wait for our emotions to come around.
Jesus invites us to keep company with Him and that He will show us how to really live – freely and lightly. Wow! What an offer! We have an ever-present life coach who knows everything and lives inside us! Sometimes we just need to slow down or step off our activity track to just – be – with Him. When we make intimacy with Him our goal and priority, then we can realise life that fulfils.
The joy of fulfilment is not going to come through activity. I won’t receive joy when I complete my to-do list or by trying to. Living automatically won’t lead me to joy. But we can take joy as we keep company with Jesus. There is joy in His presence.
We don’t have to stand on a hill and wait for the wind to change.
We can take joy.
We can walk with Him and live now.
New Year’s and summer holidays are a great time to reset for a new year. And thanks to God, my family has been able to get a bit better at living lightly this year. As we’ve focussed on God together as a family, prayed together and kept things positive we’ve gotten a bit better at smiling and laughing even when a lot seems to be going on.
But as life sometimes becomes full of activity, it’s easy for activity to become the focus of life. We can become engaged with doing rather than being, with the activities themselves instead of the people around us. Life quickly starts to feel busy, heavy and gets out of the wonderful, “unforced rhythms of grace”, that come from the life of God.
But how do we get out of ‘activity mode’? How can we get back to living out of the overflow of real life from God? I’m not satisfied to presume that there is nothing we can do about it. We’re grown-ups. We can say no. We can exercise self-control. We don't have to wait for our emotions to come around.
Jesus invites us to keep company with Him and that He will show us how to really live – freely and lightly. Wow! What an offer! We have an ever-present life coach who knows everything and lives inside us! Sometimes we just need to slow down or step off our activity track to just – be – with Him. When we make intimacy with Him our goal and priority, then we can realise life that fulfils.
The joy of fulfilment is not going to come through activity. I won’t receive joy when I complete my to-do list or by trying to. Living automatically won’t lead me to joy. But we can take joy as we keep company with Jesus. There is joy in His presence.
We don’t have to stand on a hill and wait for the wind to change.
We can take joy.
We can walk with Him and live now.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
God is my source
I believe that it is possible to live joyfully, that joy is something we can experience in our day-to-day lives. I believe that we don’t have to wait for joy to come along mysteriously but that we can ‘take’ joy. I am experimenting with believing that joy is the ‘new normal’. Of course, there are times when sorrow is appropriate but as a default – joy is possible.
While I believe that our Father God desires joy for our hearts, I believe also that there is an enemy who seeks to steal our joy. I am realising that I need to be aware of the fight that I am picking as I put my head out in the line of fire by writing a blog on joy. So I have taken to asking why when I am not feeling joy, pursuing an answer from God and His Word.
In the last few days I experienced a feeling that is quite familiar for me, a feeling that I have come to recognise as my confidence slipping from me. It’s an inner battle that I have fought from time to time and won, taking more ground as I go. It had been a while, but I thank God for awareness, or discernment, to see it coming and ask Him for help.
Usually as I feel my confidence slipping away I chase hard after it asking, “Where did I go wrong?” “What is wrong with me?” and, “Where is my joy?” But God is gracious and He snapped me out of this default response showing me how foolish it is for me to focus on myself, and how ensnared I can become chasing my own tail to reach what I can only find in Him.
I remembered the Word in James 4:7-8,
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Sigh. Selah. What relief we have in Him. God is my source. Surely our joy comes from intimacy with our Heavenly Father.
That day was a great day. I took the car to school that day, and for the first time since Josiah started kindergarten we drove together there and back. He was so excited that we could do that – it was infectious, and I caught on as well.
While I believe that our Father God desires joy for our hearts, I believe also that there is an enemy who seeks to steal our joy. I am realising that I need to be aware of the fight that I am picking as I put my head out in the line of fire by writing a blog on joy. So I have taken to asking why when I am not feeling joy, pursuing an answer from God and His Word.
In the last few days I experienced a feeling that is quite familiar for me, a feeling that I have come to recognise as my confidence slipping from me. It’s an inner battle that I have fought from time to time and won, taking more ground as I go. It had been a while, but I thank God for awareness, or discernment, to see it coming and ask Him for help.
Usually as I feel my confidence slipping away I chase hard after it asking, “Where did I go wrong?” “What is wrong with me?” and, “Where is my joy?” But God is gracious and He snapped me out of this default response showing me how foolish it is for me to focus on myself, and how ensnared I can become chasing my own tail to reach what I can only find in Him.
I remembered the Word in James 4:7-8,
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Sigh. Selah. What relief we have in Him. God is my source. Surely our joy comes from intimacy with our Heavenly Father.
That day was a great day. I took the car to school that day, and for the first time since Josiah started kindergarten we drove together there and back. He was so excited that we could do that – it was infectious, and I caught on as well.
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