| | These last few weeks there have been a lot of weighty things that we have been lifting up to God... I am so encouraged to know that each of your cares what He thinks. That might seem so simple and so obvious, but it is a big deal. Think about all of the other students you see everyday who don't even think about what God thinks. Imagine if you had to make all of your decisions without Him...
But as we seek God for answers, it is important that we are also just, seeking God. Period. Not just for answers, or for peace, or for joy, or for strength, but just to seek Him.
I was challenged by these thoughts from Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Highland Village, TX:
"In 1 Timothy 4:10 Paul writes 'For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.' I love that verse. We toil, yes. We strive, yes, but where is our hope? What, or rather, who is the goal? I love preaching the Gospel and I love planting churches, but I do those things because in them there is this unbearable weight of His presence. This crushing majesty that makes me want to cry, sing and scream all at the same time.
"The thing that disturbs me lately is that it seems we've made the goal something else all together. We think the goal is growing our churches to a certain size or our platforms (pulpits, blogs, books) to a certain fame. How hollow is that? And, how dangerous? Just because men love Jesus and follow Him doesn't mean that they get to grow a platform or reach a certain level of "success" (I use that word loosely). Here are a few men who loved our great God and King and were obedient beyond the norm:
* Moses spends his whole life with grumbling, whiners and dies without getting to walk into the promise land.
* Samson suicide bombs the Philistines and when the dust settles he is dead and the Philistines still rule over Israel.
* David's son rapes his sister and leads a rebellion against David, dethroning him for a season.
* Jeremiah ends up in exile with the rest of the country after repeatedly getting beaten for preaching what God commanded him to preach.
* John the Baptist is beheaded by a pervert who gives his head to a 15-year-old stripper.
* Peter is killed, reportedly crucified upside down.
* Paul is killed in Rome but only after he spends his life (with thorn intact) being beaten, rejected, lost at sea, and consistently dealing with people coming in behind him and destroying what he built.
"If your hope is set on anything other than Him, how do you survive when it goes bad? How do you remain passionate and vibrant when no one comes or the baptismal waters are still for long stretches? How do you maintain doctrinal integrity or teach hard things if He isn't the treasure? How do you worship when your wife gets sick or your son goes for a ride in an ambulance? If He is the goal, the treasure, the pursuit, then those things are fuel that presses you into His goodness and grace all that much more. I am not saying they are pleasant or enjoyable but only that if He is your goal you will find your faith sustained."
Or to rewrite those words for the average college student: If your hope is set on anything other than Him, how do you survive when it goes bad? How do you remain passionate and vibrant when no one comes to community for long stretches? How do you maintain academic integrity or learn hard things if He isn't the treasure? How do you worship when your mom gets sick or your best friend goes for a ride in an ambulance? If He is the goal, the treasure, the pursuit, then those things are fuel that presses you into His goodness and grace all that much more. I am not saying they are pleasant or enjoyable but only that if He is your goal you will find your faith sustained.
Those thoughts remind me of the old hymn "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness."
And (for Brett) perhaps this would be a good week to start keeping a record of God's faithfulness. Answered prayers, things your learning, ways He continues to come through.
Remember as you seek God for answers, that you don't forget to just seek Him... May your hope be built on nothing less this week.
In His Service,
Jess |
| | Posted 11/21/2008 2:42 PM - 2 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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