He Rejoices Over Us

Dear Readers,

No words can describe how happy I am to be able to write for you today!  Since my last entry was published in June, my life has been, shall we say...a beautiful mess.  There have been extraordinarily beautiful moments where God touched me in a powerful way (while I was smiling), and there have been extraordinarily painful moments where God touched me in a powerful way (while I was crying).  I can honestly report that I am thankful for the full spectrum of beauty and pain I have experienced this summer, because each vivid moment spent with God has made me stronger.  Jesus is so good!

And now, to dive into our pressing subject matter: US.  No, I am not talking about the slang abbreviation for our wayward country...I am referring to YOU.  Me.  We.  Humans saved by God’s grace…and delighted in by our divine Father. 

Here I have documented some of your likely initial reactions:

1) Huh?

2) Ha-ha.

3) Heresy!

4) Hmm, I’d rather not…

If you find you are somewhere in between, or that you are a bit of each: good.  That means I’m not alone! 

Standing straight, palms facing up, head bowed down, I prayed in earnest:

Dear God, I am such a sinner…so wretched before You…how can You love a person as messed up as I am?  Just tell me what You want me to do, and I’ll do it!

And although I was immersed in a sea of Jesus-worshippers, I felt almost as solitary as if I were completely alone.  I was at a church conference for teenagers, waiting for God to reveal Himself to me in a new way…and during the first few worship songs (which were really like corporate prayer sessions), it didn't seem like God would ever show up.

Then came the song “Mighty Fortress,” and my whole world began to shift a bit:

Like a mighty fortress, He is our God
Like a mighty fortress, He is our God
When enemies surround us, rising like a flood
They break into pieces, swallowed in dust

At this point of the song, everything for me was fine, normal…it is the next stanza that really sent me into a spiritual tailspin:

He rejoices
He rejoices over us

The rest of the song is awesome, and I really gelled with the lyrics in worship…but the phrase “He rejoices over us” made me cringe a little every time it was used, evoking a simultaneous “Heresy!” and “Hmm, I’d rather not…” reaction in my gut.  I was disturbed by the fact that many of the other worshippers around me loved this part of the song.  Smiles flashed and eyes shined.  Some worshippers even danced.  I ducked my head down and sort of apologized to God for the selfish assertion.  You may think at this point that I was merely being humble, but what I was really experiencing was a sense of deep, crippling unworthiness that’s root was not exactly grounded in Truth. In fact, focusing on one’s inability to serve God reflects a lack of faith, and an excess of fear. 

Consider, for example, the story of Moses in the Bible.  God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and his response to God was that he was "not capable."  While Moses did not seem to struggle so much with unworthiness as He did with fear of man, the concept is similar: Moses focused more on his weakness than he did on God's power to use him despite his shortcomings.  If we really desire to serve God, we must see and understand Him as He truly is--all-powerful, graceful, and loving--and not as our feelings dictate.  If God's Word says that God is the One who makes those faithful to Him worthy (2 Thessalonians 1:11), then who are we to say we are unworthy?  After all, God knows us better than anyone else, including ourselves (Psalm 139)!

If you still don’t understand what was wrong with my reaction, consider for a moment the fact that we are called sons and daughters of God (2 Corinthians 6:18).  Now imagine that your biological dad asks you to help him partake in a community outreach.  You feel so unworthy to help your dad minister to the community that you require him to tell you what to do step by step, and apologize for your lack of proficiency in completing the tasks he gives you every time you trip up, or even for no reason at all.  Your dad would probably be more frustrated than flattered by your dependency, and consequently try to teach you to be more independent.  You and He would still be a team by necessity, but you would have to learn to take more initiative, to take leaps of faith…and to not be so afraid to mess up that you choose to not do anything to help at all.  In short, you would learn to co-labor with your father.

Zephaniah 3:17 declares,

"The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

Honestly, the thought of God rejoicing over me is still very overwhelming, and I still will often bow my head down low when I hear the phrase “He rejoices over us,” but now I smile, because I know that my identity as His daughter makes that statement 100% correct.  He does not revel in my sinfulness, but in the victory that He foresees in my life.

In Jeremiah 29:11 God promises,

"I know the plans I have for you...They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

And in Philippians 1:7, Paul asserts,

"I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Shalom!

Ardently Yours,

Megan

New Day's Resolutions

    Wow, I can't believe its 2012!  It seems like just yesterday I was clinking champagne cups full of apple cider with friends and family, 
declaring, "Happy 2011!"  and toasting the New Year.  The ball dropped in New York City, the stars twinkled overhead outside.  The stars are still twinkling, but now it is 2012. 


  I wonder what this year will be like; what difficult circumstances will I be faced with?  What beautiful moments will I experience?

    Every year millions of people make crazy New Year's resolutions, and I, a teenage girl, am no exception.  My past goals for the year have ranged from writing bestselling novels to mastering my nonexistent gymnast's split to flying out of state to see obscure concerts.  All of these so-called "resolutions" have been unsuccessful for me thus far, but still I hope for future success.  
    Last year my goal was to earn my driver's licence (my learner's permit is on the verge of expiring), but my hopes were in vain.  I have yet to drive myself anywhere without getting "white-knuckle syndrome" on the steering wheel or basically having a mini meltdown in the driver's seat, my distraught mom sweating bullets in the passenger's seat beside me (I am sure sitting in an electric chair would be more comfortable for her at moments like these).  Yep, people make resolutions, but resolutions don't come with "money back guarantees" (unless they are treadmills), and they certainly don't promise certain success.


    But for the past few years now, I have set different types of goals for myself on New Year's Eve, something like a New Year's resolution, but deeper.  I write a small list of "hopes" on the top of my January calendar page, things I hope God will show me, ways I hope to grow spiritually.  It is like a written prayer--and, so far, God has answered me every year without fail.  Last year I prayed that I could draw closer to God, and that I could get along better with my younger siblings.  Not only did God reveal more of Himself and His mysterious grace to me last year, He allowed me the opportunity to grow closer to my brothers.


    It is not as if God takes New Year's Eve prayers more seriously than others...I think that it is just me who makes them special.  Really, I think God wants all of our prayers to feel special, because they are.  That we can converse with the Awesome Creator of the Universe seems like a total miracle to my limited, finite, human brain!  Another flabbergasting notion: God wants us to come to Him with our hearts desires.   In Jeremiah 11:9-12 Jesus says, 


"...Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 
    Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 


    This is not to say that God will answer every question immediately or even in the affirmative.  Jesus gives us an example of a child asking his father for something that is clearly good for him to have.  If the child had asked for a snake, it would have been irresponsible of the father to grant him his desire!  if God's answer to our prayers is "No" or "Wait" we just have to trust Him and know that He knows what He's doing.  His ways are far above our ways!

    So what is it this year that is weighing on your heart?  Are you struggling with an addiction?  A family problem?  Maybe your heart's desire is marriage, but that special someone does not seem to be coming along as quickly as you would like.  My suggestion?  Pray, and wait on the Lord.  This answer may seem trite, but it is so true.  My heart's prayer for this year is found in Lamentations 3:22-24:



    Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 
They are new every morning;
great is [God's] faithfulness.
 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."



Sometimes God is slow to answer because He wants us to trust Him regardless of our life circumstances.  When a person loves another person, they learn to trust that individual.  God wants to have a love relationship with each and every one of us.  In order for that to happen, it is essential that we learn to trust God in every aspect of our lives.

    If God wants you to have the desires of your heart (and if your heart is aligned with His, He most likely will), He will take care of it for you.   in Jeremiah 29:11 God assures His people, "...I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
   My 2012 New Year's resolution?  To pray more, and trust God with all of my hopes and my future.  If I slip up and fall on my butt (which will most likely happen a few times), I am not going to say, "Oh well, better luck next year;" instead I am going to get right back onto my feet and declare a New Day's resolution!  I am tired of trying to hash life out on my own.  I am fed up with living for transient worldly pleasures.  This year, I am going to strive to serve God with my whole heart, and in the process, change the world around me.
    And who knows?  Maybe I'll finally master that gymnast's split this year after all!

God is Love, not Religion

    I have finally concluded, after many years of struggling, that I utterly abhor the word religion. Allow me to clarify. I hate what religion has been defined as by popular culture: narrow-minded, perfect, dry, holier-than-thou, confusing, bigoted, and—perhaps worst of all—condemning. Too often, people who associate themselves with the word religious also don other words like hypocritical, judgmental, and self-righteous. For me, the word that I always unconsciously associated myself with was the troubling word uncertain. Uncertain of my standing with God and of my eternal fate, I skated along though an existence riddled with doubt and fear. Growing up in a Christian community, I often heard mention of the word grace. People claimed it had something to do with God—but if it did, I did not know what it was. As strange as it may sound, it was neither a stirring sermon nor a shocking miracle that finally woke me from my dark, religious stupor. It was love.

    At a Christian conference that I attended this summer, while praying for forgiveness for my doubtfulness and spiritual inadequacy, a woman’s hand suddenly alighted on my shoulder and she whispered, “He delights in you.” This person told me that God not only delights in me, but that He is pleased with me. Right now. No work was required from me before God loved me. He has always loved me—I know that now. Paul declares in Romans 5:8 that, 


“…God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 


 Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to earth to die for the sins that previously separated all people from God. By taking on the whole world’s sin, Jesus made it possible for imperfect man to come before a Holy God. Biblical Grace can be defined as this: a free gift God gives to all who will accept it to save souls from hell, and make it possible for us to be with God. Ephesians 2:8 proclaims,


“For by grace you are saved through faith…this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” 


 Forever changed and conscious of the mysterious, all-encompassing grace of God, I am finally free of my old uncertainty.

    Doubt does sometimes take transient residence in my heart, but can never stay long before Jesus’ love demands its removal. The greatest proof that I know of for the existence of the God of the Bible is that I can tangibly sense His loving presence in my life. Before I was able to comprehend that God’s grace was real, I was often empty and troubled about my standing with God, but afterwards, I was spiritually resurrected, charged with fresh purpose, and certain of my future residency in Heaven.

    Prior to my revelation of Jesus’ love for me, I was not sure what would happen after I died. I knew there was a heaven and a hell, but believed that I was not a good enough Christian to be confident that I was Heaven bound. As a result, for many years I silently prayed the sinner’s prayer every week at church, and cried myself to sleep some nights due to a crippling fear of hell that rose in my burdened heart. In my mind, forgiveness was a gift God granted to those who believed in Him with enough faith to move mountains. My faith was not sufficient enough to move even a pebble. I was baptized as both a baby and a teen, I had prayed and read God’s
    Word scrupulously, and I had tried to be a bold witness for Christ. I was perfectly religious, and I was utterly missing the fact that my own personal holiness did not determine God’s feelings for me. Grace is grace. Either you receive it and believe God is quick to forgive, or you do not. Ironically, I had grown up in a Christian family and community only to find that my understanding of God’s grace was totally wrong. It matters very little where you are or what you know in your head. If you do not believe in your heart that you are saved by God’s free gift of grace alone, and that He loves you regardless of your spiritual strength, you will be like a man born blind—always surrounded by darkness, and wholly unaware of the incomprehensible beauty that surrounds him.

    The moment my feeble heart grasped God’s love for me was the turning point for my relationship with God. No longer am I fearful of God’s opinion of me. He and I both know I make a lot of mistakes, but He promises to walk me through them. In Philippians 1:6, Paul encourages, 


“For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” 


 Before I had a relationship with Jesus, I often struggled with my identity. Now I am not only certain of my identity, I celebrate it. Once I subconsciously labeled myself as Uncertain, but now I know my true name is Hephzibah, which is Hebrew for “the one the Lord delights in (Isaiah 62:3-4).” 
     When my life is difficult, I do not doubt God’s presence in my life—I cling to it. When I am afraid of what other people think of me, I pray to God for boldness. When the enemy tries to seduce me with his cruel lies—that I am worthless, that God does not love me—I tearfully hold onto God’s promises for my life. Sometimes when I cry out to God for deliverance from the evil in my life, the Lord is quiet. He does not always respond immediately, but He always proves Himself faithful in the end. In Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord comforts those who seek Him with these words, 


“…I know what I have planned for you…I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” 


 It is not easy to be a Christian. There are times when I wonder if I am wrong to believe in a God I cannot see with my human eyes—that is, until I remember how many times I have seen Him redeem dark lives, fill previously vacant eyes with light, and grant me peace in hours of turmoil.

    Recently, God proved Himself to be faithful to me while I was praying at church. My spirit had been burdened because of some family issues occurring at the time, and I asked God to deliver me from my painful circumstances. A few minutes later, a friend of mine shared a passage of scripture with me that she felt like God wanted me to read: Psalm 13. In this psalm, David cries out to God, 


“How long, LORD, will you continue to ignore me? How long will you pay no attention to me? ​​How long must I worry, and suffer in broad daylight? How long will my enemy gloat over me? ​​​​​​​Look at me! Answer me, O LORD my God! Revive me, or else I will die!” 


At the end of the passage, he rightly concludes,


“...But I trust in your faithfulness.” 


 These words were exactly what I needed to hear. God had directly answered my prayers! With unflinching conviction I declare that God is not only loving and faithful to save—He is alive. He is here.

    You may think I am positively mad, insecure, or mistaken to believe in an all-powerful God, but I only dare speak veraciously on a subject so essential to all humanity. I have tried to stuff the emptiness in my life with many things, but only God wholly satisfies. My love for Jesus is not just a phase, to be discarded with the changing of seasons; instead, my love for Him defines and gives meaning to my life. Unlike man’s weak love, God’s love is constant, consistent, impartial, and overwhelmingly unwavering in its strength. When Paul defines real love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, he is really listing the attributes of God. 


He is patient, kind, never envious, never bragging, not puffed up, not rude, not self-serving, not easily angered, not resentful or glad about injustice, but He rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and never ends. 


 God hates religion because it keeps us from seeing His true identity as our divine, loving Father. Just go ahead and ask God to show Himself to you. The Lord will reveal Himself ten out of ten times to the person who seeks Him with a sincere heart. If you do not believe me, discover the truth for yourself. I dare you.