Posts

Posted on

The Music of Praise

Dear Sisters,

This weekend I attended a lovely piano concert. Picture in your mind if you will: a Hawaiian church, the evening breezes blowing thru the open windows, family and friends seated around, lights focused on the baby grand piano tucked in the front corner of the building, and haunting melodies lifting around us. At the end of one piece in particular, I remember feeling almost cheated that the music did not continue.

Recently, my husband and I finished reading the book of Revelation. I have always longed to understand more of Revelation—its symbology often confuses me to say the least. One portion in chapter 4 established a particularly dry, boring image in my mind in which the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders are constantly praising the Lord (with the same specific phrases). Today as I re-read those verses, last night’s concert came to mind and a suggestion developed that perhaps these praises would be much like the music I heard and wanted to continue—music expressing a surprising variety of thought and emotion, but always wrapped in delight and joy.

Each piece of music has notes it centers around, they hold the piece together as a whole, make it unique, and they repeat throughout. Perhaps the praises of those in heaven would pattern themselves much like beautiful music on earth—unified in its theme, ever changing in its expression. And, also like here on earth, the praise in heaven might flow and pervade every aspect of our lives. In other words, I do not imagine we simply have a forever ‘gather around the camp fire’ experience at the throne of heaven. God is a god of action and creation. He delights in work. In fact, He made us to work and created joy in our hearts for our acts of creation and His. Instead, I envision His saints working while praising much as we might whistle while we work—indeed, as in I Thess. 5:17 we should “pray without ceasing.” Here on earth, we are to constantly lift our hearts to Christ as we go through the day—in communion with Him; in heaven, oh joy!, we will be side-by-side with our Best Friend! I do not think we will be able to help exclaiming in delight over His power, majesty, glory, and honor as we ever find new facets of His person and work.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” Rev. 4:8b.

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your Will they existed, and were created.” Rev. 4:11.

Over and over, the same chorus binding the praise together, different voices, high, low, quiet, trumpeting, lilting, flowing, marching, poignant, beautiful, and best of all—never ending.

Running (and praising) with you,
Rebecca

Posted on

Coffee and the Psalms

Dear sister,

Wait…before I start I need to get myself a cup of coffee. I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I need to grind the beans, preferably a dark roast that hasn’t been open for more than a week, then boil water for my French press. I let it steep for a little more than five minutes to get a full body flavor without the bitterness. Then I need a glass or ceramic mug that I can hold with two hands as I shrug my shoulders together to savor the richness. I have to drink it while it’s fresh to be able to enjoy the heat, smell, feel, and taste of each sip. Ahhhhh, that was a good cup. I implore you to go make this aromic, delectable treat for yourself…I’ll wait.

Now, what was I doing? Oh yes, writing about praise. Praise is a proper response to something and/or someone you enjoy. You give credit where credit is due and call others to enjoy it with you. As you can see, I REALLY enjoy a cup of coffee while reading or writing. It’s calming and helps me relax in my task. In fact, I enjoy it so much that I tell others about it and proclaim its glory! I have even worked at Starbucks to learn more about it and upon traveling to Ethiopia, I bought beans that were roasted before my eyes and filled with such flavor I have never forgotten the experience. My husband has even become a coffee snob as a result of the praise I have for coffee. My individual praise of a simple thing of a good cup of coffee has led others to praise and enjoy it too.

I find as a believer though, it is sometimes easier for me to praise the things that are set before me rather than the Creator who made all things. I praise my husband, Annabelle, a good meal, a riveting and clean TV show, or a good book, but I forget to first praise the Creator who is responsible for every good and perfect thing. The Psalms are full of praises to the Lord for military victory, His creation, His salvation, His provision, His Word, and life. The Psalmist often finds his spirit lifted after searching for ways to Praise the Lord. I also find my heart lifted when I praise the Lord in song or in fellowship with other believers. I know He is praiseworthy and giving Him praise fills me with joy, does it do that for you, sweet sister?

Praising our children, husbands, and a good cup of coffee is not bad, but let us not lose sight of who deserves the ultimate praise for giving us these things. Let us, like the psalmist, draw others to praise the Creator who has blessed us with senses, emotions, and a lifetime to enjoy His vast and variable creation. Let us call others to praise and enjoy our Father who adopted us in Christ with full inheritance for eternity! Let us praise and boast of the only Being who truly deserves all our praise! Let’s start now:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
 The King of creation

O my soul, praise Him 
For He is thy health and salvation

All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near
Praise Him in glad adoration



Praise to the Lord
 Who o’er all things so wonderfully reigneth

Shelters thee under His wings
 Yea, so gladly sustaineth

Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been

Granted in what He ordaineth



Praise to the Lord 
Who doth prosper they work and defend thee

Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do

If with His love He befriend thee



Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him

All that hath life and breath 
Come now with praises before Him

Let the ‘amen’ sound from His people again

Your sister,
Colleen

Posted on

God Sees Our Hearts

Dear Sister,

Are you burdened this day with the disparity between what life looks like and what you hoped it would look like? Are you frustrated with the results of your labors, despite the love and effort you have put into each act of service? Are you saddened by a relationship gone sour, due to no fault of your own, or a relationship that never bloomed, despite your many prayers and good desires?

God sees you. He saw Hagar as she was fleeing her mistress Sarah, prepared to die in the desert. “She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me! ‘Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!’ “ Genesis 16: 13 (MSG)

God sees your heart, and He is honored by every pure desire and motive that lies within. Resist the urge to give up on the priorities, relationships, and dreams He has given you. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

Life is a lot like farming – I know that from first-hand experience. Growing up as a farm girl in southern Ohio, I not only watched my father and grandfather labor over their fields and cattle, but I also got dirty, planted seeds, and weeded many rows of corn and beans, waiting for the crops to come. Some years, there would be a drought, and the crop would not be very healthy, or the bugs would eat up the young plants before they could grow, or an unexpected frost would kill new blossoms on our fruit trees. Being a large family, we depended on this food, but more importantly, we depended on God. He was always faithful to supply our needs and bless the real fruit of our labors, even if in a small way.

Sister, please remember that while we are called to be faithful, we are not ultimately responsible for the end result of our actions, prayers, and good desires. We are not in control. Not at all! Just like a faithful farmer, we are called to labor for the Gospel to be furthered in our own hearts, in our families, and in our communities. God will produce the fruit at the right time.

My father had a saying he liked to share with us when we were sweating in the garden every July… “You know kids, these beans are going to taste great in January!” Often when we least expect it, in the middle of the dark winter, the ‘crops’ that we have labored over, and set aside for the colder months, will bear fruit that is oh-so-sweet.

He sees you, He delights in you, and He will bring the harvest at the proper time. Be faithful to the garden He has planted you in. You don’t know how He might use your faithfulness for His glory.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

Seen by God…your sister,

Ruth

Posted on

Broken Hearts

My Dearest Sister,

When I was growing up, my parents were pretty cautious about what we watched on television. Most of the time we ended up watching reruns of older shows because they tended to be more family friendly. One of the programs we watched regularly was Happy Days. If you are familiar with the show, then you no doubt are familiar with the lovable character of Fonzie. You know that episode where he can’t even say the words “I was wrong”, as if they are physically going to hurt him? Yeah, that’s totally me (my poor husband can attest to this). I guess pride is just part of our human nature and with that comes the desire to be right, but that desire has so stubbornly manifested itself in me that admitting when I have been wrong is a real struggle sometimes; it can be so difficult that the words feel almost painful to say. Because of this, I don’t like to admit when I am at fault very often. As you can imagine, this can get me into trouble sometimes (again, my poor husband can attest to this).

You know who didn’t struggle to admit he was wrong? King David. If anyone could be more predisposed to issues of pride, it would be the shepherd boy who took down a giant with a single stone, became king over an entire nation, conquered thousands of men in battle, and would eventually become the forefather of the Savior of the world. Yet as great as all of his accomplishments were, David still recognized that his heart was deeply rooted in sin and he was desperately in need of forgiveness. Psalm 51 in particular outlines his prayer of repentance after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah.

The first thing David does is acknowledge the source of his bad behavior, his own sinful heart. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity. And in sin my mother conceived me,” he says (v. 5). David knew that he was born into sin the same way he was born into his family. It’s hard to imagine that my sweet baby boy who is sleeping peacefully in the other room shares this same inherent state of iniquity. He seems so pure right now, so incapable of anything evil. However, I know the day will quickly come when that veil of innocence will be lifted, revealing the same sinful nature we all possess.

But there is good news: thanks to Jesus’ death on the cross, this nature no longer controls us who belong to Christ. We have been set free from sin and are no longer slaves to it (Romans 6:22-23). However, that doesn’t mean that our sin nature just goes away completely. Sometimes it comes creeping back up on us and pounces when we least expect it. David was hand-picked by God to lead His people and yet he still struggled with sinful thoughts and actions. However, he knew that when he had sinned against the Lord that there was only one appropriate response: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). He was desperately in need of forgiveness and God was the only One who could wash his heart clean again.

You see, what God desires from us more than anything else is a heart that is right before Him. That’s the whole reason He sent His Son to this earth in the first place, so that our sins could be forgiven and our hearts could be washed clean! David was more than willing to admit to his sins because he knew that conviction (identification) of sin is the first step to a heart that is right with God. “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, You will not despise” (v.16-17). David was a mighty man who did many great things in his lifetime, but his greatest strength was something many would consider a weakness: a humble, broken heart. He knew that he was born a sinner in need of forgiveness and he didn’t let his pride get in the way of admitting that. Being right with God was more important to him than being right.

Sister, if you are anything like me then you know how hard it can be to admit to wrongdoing, especially when our human nature dictates that being right is more important. However, before our hearts can be made clean, they must first be broken. I can’t begin to tell you how convicting writing this letter was for me. It has caused me to look on my prideful heart with shame and sorrow. But do you know what? That conviction is the first step to having a heart that is right before God. We can’t shy away from that brokenness, sister; we must embrace it as King David did, knowing it only draws us closer to the One who makes all things – including our filthy, sinful hearts – new once more.

In His Love,
~ Lauren

Posted on

What’s In Your Heart?

Dear Sister,

Tis the season of hearts, love, and longing. My own heart-attitude came to mind as I journaled this to the Lord today: “Establish an attitude of humility in Your servant. Perhaps there is where I need to start. Too often the top…leader…teacher…mother instead of the humble bond slave. I want to be Your bond slave, Lord, for I know You are gentle and merciful, all-wise and patient.”

As I wrote this, the reluctance I had prior—a need not to be trampled on, to be overwhelmed by others’ demands, to not be boundariless—dissolved because I realized I wasn’t called to become a servant chained to other flawed people and their desires, but a servant to the Lord—He will guide me as He sees fit and that is right, acceptable, and good because I know His character, I can trust in His heart. He will stretch me and allow circumstances and others to try me, but for my good. Though I may serve others, I am to always be His handmaiden—serving where He directs.

This heart is a precious, valuable tool—each of us only have one—it is well we should guard it! I cringe to remember how often I have thrust it out ahead of me in situations and with people, blindly ‘feeling’ along—hoping that will land me where my desires will be fulfilled. I love the verse, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Prov. 4:23. A friend pointed this out during the time I was dating as a reminder to be cautious with the relationships I allowed in my life, and quite correctly; however the verse should not just be applied to dating relationships, but to all things that can affect the heart—for good or ill.

Proverbs is often called the book of Wisdom, and I believe it may also be called the book of the Heart as that is where we should cultivate wisdom: “For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” Prov. 2:10.

Although our hearts should grow with God’s wisdom, at the same time they are still tainted with sin—it will be a constant battle on this earth keeping our hearts moving on God’s path and not straying toward sinful desires. Therefore, our hearts must trust in God and not our own ‘wisdom.’ “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” Prov. 3:5. We should know the nonsense of “follow your heart” and “do what feels right” is pure folly. “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. “ Prov. 21:2; and, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.” Prov. 28:26. Ingesting God’s Word, following His principles, having a relationship with Him (not a fleeting, shallow, pray only during emergencies-type of relationship, but a continual, daily, enduring relationship) results in the true cultivation of and right direction for our hearts.

This Valentine’s Day, consider allowing our Lord to woo your heart. He loves you with an everlasting love and He battled to the death for you. Let Jesus be your ultimate love—setting His seal on your heart.

Running with you,
Rebecca