Serving much?

Luke 10 was part of my Daily Bible Reading Plan for today. How timely, as we just discussed this at Bible Study on Tuesday night.  God is good.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the lords feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42 ESV)

Lord, daily remind me that you don't want me to be "distracted with much serving" but let me remember to constantly sit at your feet listening to you.

Happy Good Friday!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalms 118:24 ESV)

As my pastor's wife says often (because we need to be reminded often) "the ground is level at the foot of the cross". The only person we should put on a pedestal is Jesus. Not our pastors, mentors, husbands, deacons, ministry leaders, or anyone else. We all sin and we all fall from grace on a daily basis. Some sins are more apparent than others. Instead of looking UP to our "pedestal people" look BESIDE for examples of those living lives of repentance and follow their lead by looking UP to the One who took our place and paid our debt and gives us the strength to overcome the sin that so easily entangles. Enjoy Good Friday basking in the freedom that Jesus gives on the cross. 

Sometimes God Sends a Flood...

Reckless

"His kind of love is reckless for us." - Group 1 Crew 

Reckless according to Merriam-Webster: "marked by lack of proper caution. "

The english word reckless is used in the ESV regarding the prodigal son. The Greek root word basically means "not safe". 

To love someone who doesn't love you back is not safe for you. To bless someone who doesn't deserve blessing is not safe for you. To give all you have for someone who only wants more is not safe for you. If I was talking about two people in a relationship I would probably call the  lover, blesser, and giver a fool. That's why God says in 1 Cor 1:18, 25, 27-31 "For the Word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God....For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men...But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

It's is only because of God's reckless love that I live. It's is only because of God's reckless love that I'm blessed, that He would allow me this wonderful life when I am such a wretched sinner, it's incomprehensible. And then to offer me eternity with Him as the even better prize. It just makes no sense. When I let the waves toss me to and fro, when I walk in the light today and stray tomorrow, His grace still covers me. He never changes His mind. The same God who "was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart" and said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land," (Gen 6:6) and "struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt" (Ex 12:12) and "rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire" (Gen 19:24) and said to Moses "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book," (Ex 32:33) is also "a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." (Ex 34:6-7) He loves so recklessly that He sends His Son to take my guilt and sin so He does not have to blot out my name. Because He is too just to go back on his Word. He is too pure and Holy to let my sin go, to allow me as a sinner to see his face, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." (Ex 33:20) But Rev 22:4 says his servants "will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads." I will see His face, because He has purchased me with His blood (Acts 20:28). His Son paid the penalty for my sin. And so even though I'm a complete mess and failure and can never get everything right, He sees me as spotless, holy, and blameless because he imputed his Son's righteousness to me (2 Cor 5:21).

So how do I respond to this reckless love? I love as recklessly back as my sinful flesh can. I show Him reckless honor because He shows me reckless love. I become his servant, his slave, sacrificing my own will to carry out His. I pursue the One who gave it all and never gave up on me when I gave up on Him, when I didn't get it. But now that I get it, I can't turn back, I can't possibly reject this reckless love. It's what I've been searching for (and in all the wrong places) and He's been longing for me to find it. 

But when I find Him and His love I say "Do not gaze at me because I am dark" (Songs 1:6) with guilt and shame and sin. And he says: "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely" (Songs 2:14).

And so because of Jesus, I cautiously ignite a reckless love for my God.  Stepping out of guilt and shame and claiming the righteousness of Christ as my own. Desiring above all to see his face. He is gracious. He is forgiving. He is fearsome. He is powerful. He is just. He is holy. He is reckless. ♥