by RobertCummins | Nov 11, 2014 | 46. Trust
Psalm 20:1-9
The Christian flavor of the month in my neighborhood seems to be spiritual formation. You can choose today from 1.5 million hits if you google this topic. Does this account for a revival or a new marketing strategy? Being slightly skeptical that my search engine has uncovered a pure revival, I suspect our franchises that were promoting mere “Discipleship”, are having to relabel that aspect of their product line to match the competition’s offerings.
As I read Psalm 20 (and all Psalms for that matter), I am tempted to say that the best prescription for spiritual formation is not to become an accredited, degreed professional expert on the subject; rather, the best way to form one’s spirit is to simply pray like a psalmist. This will effect the reformation of the the spirit as much as anything we might do. So how does a psalmist pray? At the very least, they pray with refined presumption.
The Psalmist presumes God is interested and active, that he speaks, that he is mighty and victorious. The psalmist presumes that God has been at work all along and is engaged with his people in all their troubles, individually and corporately.
Unwittingly, the psalmist does as much as a human could do to effect the formation of their spirit (as if this were the point?) by simply responding to God in light of the realities they presume upon. They became utterly transparent. What could be more reasonable since God knows and understands us perfectly? In light of their well established impotency and God’s might, the psalmist became vulnerable. Acknowledging their weakness, they becoming God-dependent. Living from this place they became authentic, freely and passionately expressing their raw emotions and thoughts.
It is not stated explicitly but it is implied that, in responding to God, the psalmist took the time for reflection and expression. Whether they were in the business of retreating from or charging the enemy (whatever their enterprise large or small), the writer/prayer of this psalm paused and composed their heart before the Lord. They did not just leave all their God-thoughts rattling around their brains, claiming they were praying at all times. They stopped and corralled the vague yet powerful thoughts that were coursing about helter-skelter though their inner world. In doing this they became watchmen over their own hearts. While (intentionally) responding to God in this way, their spirits were being (unknowingly) renovated. In the praying, the spirit is no doubt being shaped but primarily it is that a relationship is being shaped between God and man.
In the midst of this exchange it is as though God and his psalmist give permission to each other to simply be themselves. To many, man, fallen as he is, becoming at ease with God, will seem dangerously presumptuous. Their logic will be; “God is holy!! Humans are not!! Certainly man will leverage any ease with God to pad his independence and further his own agenda.”
It will not surprise me however if God does not leverage this ease-of-heart, which has formed naturally through authentic encounter with him, to fuel all future transformation. We need so many “re‘s”; revival, renewal, reclamation, restoration, renovation, etc.. The desperately needed “re‘s” will be birthed when Jesus is reinstated as the Lord of his people’s hearts. The “re’s” come natural to people at ease with God. They presume that he is not filled with wrath; that he is not offended, standing aloof from broken mankind. Their vision has been refreshed to see God exactly like Jesus who has always been poised to forgive, heal and deliver.
To accentuate our point let’s look at its opposite. Consider the anti-Christ spirit that so regularly makes the news. By an anti-Christ spirit I mean a deceitful spirit that portrays God as an angry, vengeful deity filled with intolerant wrath, authorizing his people to be judge, jury and executioner in his behalf toward all infidels (those who do not believe as they do). This spirit births everything from pharisees to terrorists to simple offended and defeated Christians.
I do not mean to throw spiritual formation or discipleship under the bus. I just believe that if we put our trust in doctrines, techniques, principles or programs, or worse yet, the professional Christian guru’s selling them we have just put our trust in chariots and horses and derailed simple trust and devotion to Jesus Christ.
Since its grand opening in Jesus Christ, I believe the kingdom of God is the only real franchise. When believers begin to raise the banner of God’s kingdom instead of those of their their synod, denomination, sect, or stream the world will tremble in the presence of this long awaited and prophesied reality. I believe an identifying mark on these citizens will in fact be their kingdom-ease-of-heart with God. They will be utterly dependent upon and at rest in Him alone, trusting implicitly in the perfection of their salvation.
I believe the citizenry of the expanding kingdom will be those who presumed much upon God. It will not surprise me if this new fresh division of God’s army is not formed by those who either intentionally learned to pause or who were stopped dead in their religious tracks by God himself. They then took responsibility for their own hearts, cultivating one-on-one relationships with God, where transparency and dependency birthed so much authenticity and power that it transformed the earth.
Through voluntary surrender and alliance with God multitudes will be rescued from religious bondage, overcoming the anti-Christ religious spirits that rule illegitimately with their restrictive codes of behavior rather than from the indwelling and liberating Spirit of Christ. When religion and its inevitable offspring of legalism, guilt and fear are cast out, the kingdom will flourish as love becomes the basis of all authentic rule and authority.
Father, hear our petitions. Rescue us where we are trusting in our own strength and resources. That you may be honored above every name, see to it that our selfish ambitions come to nought. May holy legions of men, women and children be restored to intimacy with you. Raise us up to boldly give our account of the abundant love, joy and the peace that are increasingly on display in and though us. May this world clearly see that your banner over us is no longer legalism; it has become love. So be it.
by RobertCummins | Nov 10, 2014 | 46. Trust
John 14:1-4
Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
What does an untroubled heart look like? Is that a heart that has simply secured enough biblical truths to live well and address its particular troubles? Is it a heart that has found a community of kindred spirits who embrace and understand it and help shoulder its troubles? While these things may help in meeting some of our intellectual and social hungers, let’s probe deeper into this passage to see if Jesus may be saying more.
In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way I am going.
Sometimes Jesus is an enigma speaking apparent contradictions. He had just told them, “I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek me; yet, where I am going you cannot come.” OK, Lord, let me get this straight, I know the way You are going, yet I can’t come? Peter was having none of this. He says, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” Jesus, focused on Peter’s heart (and ours), essentially say’s, “Really?”
Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow until you deny me three times.
Jesus was saying, “Peter, Peter, You do not know your own heart. Circumstances are coming your way that are about to expose just how inaccurate you see yourself, Me and especially My kingdom.” Peter’s heart was troubled to be sure. His agenda to reign with Christ in an earthly kingdom was threatened if Jesus was going away somewhere that He could not go. Jesus had more to say to Peter (and us). John closes out his gospel with these words,
Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” The Father did that with Jesus, His Son. As he faced his trials in Gethsemane, Jesus responded,
Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done.
Has the Lord ever forewarned you that He is going to take you somewhere you would prefer not to go? Or, have you ever found yourself somewhere that you most certainly would have never chosen to go? Or, experienced something you would have never chosen to experience? Certainly Peter would have never elected to find that he was unprepared to lay his life down for Jesus. He was totally blindsided by this revelation. He had no clue until Jesus led him through this crucible. Peter could have never gone the distance with Jesus had he not discovered the unwelcome presence of his flesh and its own deep and misguided investment in this temporal world.
Crucible: a severe test, a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause influence or change in development.
Jesus takes His intimate followers to a place where they come face to face with their flesh – that independent, blind facet of their being that is incapable of true righteousness. A brokenness occurs upon this revelation, even a sense of despair. But the Lord is present, prepared to unveil something far greater than any of our earthy aspirations – Himself.
Until this day of brokenness and resurrection, we will inevitably put our trust in our selves. In our flesh, we can even double down on good works and still have hearts (if we are willing to look at them) that are deeply troubled. Yet, after we are broken, we inherently know the folly of such a life. This place that no one chooses to go (where Jesus would take us) eventually produces a humility, dependence and intimacy with Christ that cannot be had otherwise. It is that place – so beautiful, we dare not dream it exists, lest we disappoint ourselves.
And to let go, of all, you cannot hold onto / For the hope, beyond,the blue (From Josh Garrel’s Beyond the Blue) For those willing to linger; Full lyrics of this song are available at the end of this post.)
Many are looking over the horizon past their deaths to receive that place that Jesus has promised to prepare for them. What a glorious revelation it is to discover that we ourselves (not just some well-designed cosmic residence) are that place He has prepared as His home. To be sure, He is coming one fine day but He has also already come and has received us unto Himself just as He had promised. This is the way that Jesus was going which He says, we know; he himself is the way, the truth and the life and astonishingly, He resides in us as the hope of glory. We are God’s address on earth.
In your story, is their a chapter where you have had to hear the cock crow? Have circumstance come your way that exposed your blind spots? Now that you are older, has he ever exposed your investment or aspirations for an earthly kingdom?
Father, we set our eyes beyond the horizon of this earth to the kingdom that has come and is, even now, within us. Holy Spirit, teach us to yield our timid hearts and stretch out our trembling hands into Your own. And gird us with Your life and take us anywhere Your good and wise heart aspires. Let not our wills be done but Yours. Untrouble us Father with the knowledge that our spirits that have been joined forevermore to You. Amen.
Josh Garrels – Beyond The Blue
Stand on the shores of a site unseen The substance of this dwells in me
Cause my natural eyes only go skin deep
But the eye’s of my heart anchor the sea
Plumbing the depths to the place in between
The tangible world and the land of dreams
Because everything ain’t quite what it seems
There’s more beneath the appearance of things
A beggar could be king within the shadows,
Of a wing
And wisdom will honor everyone who will learn
To listen, to love, and to pray and discern
And to do the right thing even when it burns
And to live in the light through treacherous turns
A man is weak, but the spirit yearns
To keep on course from the bow to the stern
And throw overboard every selfish concern
That tries to work for what can’t be earned
Sometimes the only way to return is to go,
Where the winds will take you
And to let go, of all, you cannot hold onto
For the hope, beyond,the blue
Yellow and gold as the new day dawns
Like a virgin unveiled who waited so long
To dance and rejoice and sing her song
And rest in the arms of a love so strong
No one comes unless they’re drawn
By the voice of desire that leads em’ along
To the redemption of what went wrong
By the blood that covers the innocent one
No more separation
Between us.
So lift your voice just one more time
If there’s any hope may it be a sign
That everything was made to shine
Despite what you can see
So take this bread and drink this wine
And hide your spirit within the vine
Where all things will work by a good design
For those who will believe
And let go, of all, we cannot hold onto
For the hope, beyond, the blue
Said I let go, of all, I could not hold onto
For the hope, I have, in you
by RobertCummins | Nov 17, 2013 | 46. Trust
Psalm 37:1-11
“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”
If I were to just take “this” psalm I might interpret “it” to be real estate, and material prosperity in general.
“But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”
How consistent with the Father’s heart it is to see His beloved and cherished children be radically blessed and prospered. I am completely sold on the idea that He aspires to see us make as great a return as possible over the longest period of time on the investment of the “talents” he has entrusted us with.
Who do you consider to be the wisest investor in scripture? Did your selection come from the Old Testament or the New Testament?
Another question we should ask ourselves in all earnestness,”What is the desire of my heart?
I am certainly drawn to the abundant prosperity of Abraham. He had land holdings, herds of livestock and tons of grandkids. Then… I am also attracted to a man like Paul who had lived under both covenants and had much to say about what we had to invest, where he had invested and, as he revealed the returns he was anticipating, he also revealed what “the desires of his heart were”. As one who is also living under the New Covenant, I have always considered Paul a worthy investment counselor in the area of “long term” investments that pay great dividends and offer nearly unlimited upside potential.
I will refer you to Philippians 3:7-21. Here Paul speaks of how he examines a balance sheet and what he considers gains and losses. In Phil 3:1-7, he even describes how his thinking about investing had dramatically changed. I am sure that if Paul could tell us who most influenced his investment strategy, he would refer us to Jesus who told us that the kingdom of God was going to be an overlooked opportunity that we should endeavor to acquire at all costs. Read Matthew 6:19-21,13: 31,32; 13:44 & 13:45 for Jesus’ advice.
As our portfolios are radically unbalanced toward Christ’s eternal kingdom, we can also borrow from David’s counsel in Psalm 37 in learning to draw dividends from eternity that we can enjoy even now. He reminds us that first and foremost, it must begin with us “delighting” our selves in Him and “trusting” in Him. We must also “commit our way to Him”. David also advises us to learn to wait. He indicates that we will be tempted toward worry and jealousy as we see the sons of this temporal world earn huge returns and reap extravagant windfalls. Along with David, Paul too encourages the long view. He suggests humbly resting in the unending benefits that will accrue to us as citizens of heaven. (Phil 3:20, Eph 2:19)
Father, win our hearts back from every thing we have given them to that will ultimately cause weeping and gnashing of teeth when we see the consequence of having invested our dreams and desires in this world. Show us where our hearts are divided and compromised and grant us repentance to transfer our love and affection back to You and to Your unending kingdom. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Nov 16, 2013 | 46. Trust
Luke 22:31-38
A friend of mine tells me from time to time that he struggles to believe. He will typically add, “faith is a gift; one either has it or they don’t“. Is faith a gift? Or, is it a choice? Perhaps both?
“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat….”
Imagine what your response would have been if Jesus looked you in the eye and with all earnestness said, “The devil’s intentions are to separate you and I, but I have prayed for you that your faith not fail you.” What would your response be?
Peter’s response was defensive as if Jesus had accused him personally of having a deficient trust or lack of loyalty; “No way Lord, I know myself well enough and I would go to jail or even die with You before I would abandon you.”
We know how this story develops, Peter did not know himself as well as he had thought. So…, did Jesus grant some limited satanic access to Peter as God had done with Job? At what point was the prayer of Jesus answered; “but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail …?”
Three times Peter was given the opportunity to stand fast in his identification with Jesus. Three times he cratered. No doubt Satan assumed his victory as Peter fled, overcome by the events in and around him. Imagine the horror as he watched His closest friend, the Son of God being mocked and beaten. Imagine his guilt, knowing that by his inaction he was a conspirator to this worst of all nightmares. At some point Peter also had to get used to living with himself, which may have been quite painful given that he was a very different man in substance than he had supposed.
As out of control as Peter’s life may have seemed to him, I believe that in the unseen eternal dimension, Jesus’ prayers were being answered at the same time Satan was prematurely celebrating the sifting he was attempting. Through this painful ordeal Peter was being emptied of the destructive delusions he had entertained about himself so that he might be filled with the life of God and receive a new and enduring identity in Christ. (By all means read Henri Nouwen’s entry on pg 341 of the Blue Book.)
I am inclined to agree with my friend that faith, particularly as it relates to our initial salvation is a pure gift. I believe that the faith that is growing in us as followers of Christ is also a gift but of a different sort. It invites our participation. As life happens, and events unfold, we can be sure that behind the scene there is an enemy who desires to sift and separate us from God, or at least create that illusion as well as a savior who is interceding for us who will not loose a single one that God has given Him. And in those moments where it seems that all hope is gone; where we have proven our faithlessness to ourselves and to the world, we can have confidence that Jesus’ prayer will be answered and that ultimately this faith He has given us will grow if only we will persevere. (Check out Romans 5:1-3 and James 1:2-4)
Father, that you are present and faithful at all times and circumstances is an astoundingly wonderful and yet very difficult revelation to lay hold of. If and when trials or attacks come our way, may our response be increasingly influenced by the reality that we are yours. Help us in our participation; in the midst of our emotions and errant thoughts, to make our declarations of your goodness. And..after our seasons of disorientation, when that indestructible life within us finds expression, grasping that it is and always has been secure, may we like Peter reconnect with our refreshed and updated stories to encourage and strengthen our brothers and sisters. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Nov 15, 2013 | 46. Trust
Job 42:1-6
Job is confessing the folly of babbling on about things far beyond him; making small talk about wonders way over his head; things about God that he had picked up second hand. Job’s admission is a bit concerning to someone who produces as many words as I have in relationship to God – especially since Proverbs tells us words should be used very wisely and that too many of them lead unavoidably to folly and sin. Yet…we are also told that they can be very refreshing and life giving. Matthew 10:27 tells us, “What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
I pray that after these many years of following him that I am beginning to know the difference between babbling and proclaiming; from going on about some lofty scriptural proposition and simply telling my story. To be sure, I have done both. In reviewing some things I was writing between 1995 and 2005. I found much “Job-like” babbling. Beneath the words there were subtle questions regarding God’s goodness and His wisdom. On the surface, the words may have seemed to come from an honest spirit of inquiry but in truth they were coming from a heart that was embittered and had struggled for years to know much joy in its communion with God or others for that matter. What could be found in my heart was information, doctrine and, strangely enough, strong convictions. When I opened my mouth or pressed the keys on my keyboard, too often all that came out was a loveless, lifeless religious babble. (Check out Matt 6:23, 1 Cor 13:1)
Job, and the rest of us are sharing space with angels, demons and their commanders. We do not know who to blame at times for our plight. We all are familiar with this line of thinking: “If God is sovereign and He is good then why …. then we fill in the blank with what we have seen as apparent evidence to the contrary. Job and I had erred in how we were completing that sentence. If this supposed honest spirit of inquiry is at work in our hearts then the hymns of faith we are singing may just be our whistling in the darkness.
Whether our personal darkness is perceived as an attack or the woodshed I believe Hebrews 4:13 is the wisest way for us to interpret and react. This brief sentence has been life to me. “...all things are open and laid bare TO HIM WITH WHOM WE HAVE TO DO“. If we will persevere through our dark circumstances in deference to Him and each other, I am confident that we will emerge one day with first hand experiences with God and truth that we may proclaim with authority as our own.
These life giving words which only we are positioned to offer will not come off as sermonizing. They will have penetrating and catalytic impact on others because words are breathed from our spirit and when they match our character they carry authority and influence to impact those spirits around us. Story is our humble and disarming, first hand account of God’s current involvement in the affairs of our lives. That a good God is inclined toward us with mercy and kindness is the best and most hopeful truth that one spirit can convey to another.
I had acquired as much Bible knowledge, read as many books and listened to as many teachings as most, but like Job, in many ways, “I had only heard of Him by the hearing of the ear“. Usually what I had to say, with conviction mind you, was second hand and borrowed. However, after my season of darkness, like Job, I too retracted my questions and repented as best I could of my speculative babbling. Now, I fortunately have a degree of confidence in saying, “but now MY eye sees Thee“.
If we are in the darkness, let us give thanks because it is there where He will speak to us. What He whispers there in our ears then, we will in turn speak out as light and procalim it from the housetops.
Father, help us to each update our stories by listening in the midst of whatever our current distess may be, and whatever we may perceive as its origin. May we emerge from our circumstances in faith having fresh confirmation in our hearts of Your goodness, Your kind intention and Your power. May both the spirit of our questions and our words be flavored by love, by boldness and with a joy that is appropriate for the sons and daughters of a great king such as You. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Nov 14, 2013 | 46. Trust
Proverbs 3:5,6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and and He will make your paths straight.”
I think when I memorized this verse shortly after becoming a follower of Christ, I had a vision of the Lord and I heading up this gradual slope, hand in hand. Projecting ahead, I saw myself at peace with the world and mankind, with no more cares than a flower in the field; more specifically a lilly, since I had also memorized Matt 6:28b.
This verse, coupled with Joshua 1:8 left me with the further impression that if I would continue to hide His word in my heart, that this path would proceed, on a more or less straight ahead route and there would be prosperity and success found along the way. I liked this plan; if I would do this then the Lord would do that. I liked the idea of traveling hand in hand with “Peace” and “Success”. I was more than ready to jettison “Loneliness” and “Failure”, my previous guides who had led me into a box canyon of misery. Yes, having this understanding of the Christian life to lean on was going to make this trek an enjoyable and, I believed, a pretty manageable affair.
We have grandchildren now and they remind me how cute and clueless little toddlers are. I am pretty sure the Lord was smiling down at me too as He saw me taking my first steps – imagining that this Christian life was going to be something I could actually manage by way of my understanding.
It was really kind of amazing how quickly the trail started to twist and turn. It was not that I had back tracked into my previous sinful lifestyle. In fact I was loaded up with memorized scriptures and was eager as could be to see how they would propel me to the high places. However, as I started traveling with a wife and kids and faced some vocational and financial challenges, Peace and Success seemed to have somehow morphed into Sorrow and Suffering. What’s the deal! This is not at all working out according to my understanding! This trail seems to be going off in some direction that will never get me anywhere.
The do not trust in your own understanding-part of our passage probably made its first major contribution to my life when the Lord was removing the myth from my belief system that I was going to be able to manage some process by way of my acquired knowledge, however biblical. Learning to place my trust in the Lord when things inside me and around me felt out of control and totally incomprehensible seemed to be the only path available.
It would be enjoyable and I think valuable for us to reflect on our stories and tell each other about those times where we learned (or failed to learn) to trust in Him and acknowledge Him. I will recommend once again a favorite book of mine. Many of you have probably read Hinds Feet on High Places. It, as well as any thing I have come across, depicts the journey to the higher places in God. It was particularly helpful in those seasons where the trail has seemed impossible or lost altogether.
The myth has now been replaced, at least to some degree, with an experience-based revelation that His life within me is a mystery far greater than my finite mind can lay hold of and in any way control. Literally, Christ is my life and His ongoing revelation of this reality has required that I experience life’s ups and downs and twists and turns. with HIm. This is the essence of my relationship with Him. If I have learned anything it is that the abundant life is all about enjoying His company along the way, no matter what we enocounter along the trail. It is really only through my rest in His love that I can entrust all my heart to Him. Christ alone, not my understanding of Him or the Bible is my sufficiency. Our lives are simply the classroom where God intends to birth this revelation in the presence of those yet to be saved.
Let you light shine before men in such a way that they see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
And for the record, I am SO glad I memorized those scriptures and I am SO grateful for His Word! I am also more grateful than ever before for His Spirit who has breathed life into my stockpile of bible knowledge and connected some of the dots.
Father, Thank you for being our good and capable Shepherd. May we see and acknowledge Your lovingkindness in the midst of our current circumstances. May we continue to learn how to prefer Your leadership over our own understanding. Amen.
