Snapshots: Incomparable

"So if it seems that there are going to be some temporary losses when you run this race with Jesus, you are right. That is why Jesus said to count the cost (Luke 14:25-33) before you sign on. But the marathon of the Christian life is not mainly loss. It is mainly gain. "For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross." It is only a matter of timing. If you see things with the eyes of God, there is a vapor's breath of loss and pain, and then everlasting joy (2 Corinthians 4:17)....the sufferings of this present age are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to the children of God (Romans 8:18). So let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with Jesus." - Piper

Snapshots: Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

"I remember the effect this verse had on me as a boy when I heard someone explain that we must lay aside not only entangling sins, but "every encumbrance." That is, every weight or obstacle. Things that in themselves may not be sins. This was revolutionary. What it did (and I hope it does the same for you) was show me that the fight of faith - the race of the Christian life - is not fought well or run well by asking, "what's wrong with this or that?" but by asking, "is it in the way of greater faith and greater love and greater purity and greater courage and greater humility and greater patience and greater self-control? Not - Is it a sin? But: Does it help me run! Is it in the way?"..."

But when you look at your life through this lens, remember, "...verse 2 says, "Look to Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith." Don't look to your own resources and say, "I've tried before. It won't work." Fix your eyes on him. The battle is a battle of faith: will you believe that the things he promises are better than the bad habits that you use to cover your sadness? But more than that, Jesus doesn't just respond to faith with his help. He works to author faith and perfect faith. He works to begin it and he works to complete it. Faith lays hold on Jesus for help, because Jesus laid hold on the heart for faith. Hebrews 13:21 says that God works in us what is pleasing in his sight through Jesus. He is the author and the perfecter of our faith" - John Piper

My family history of faith -

"We look and we see examples of faith and perseverance under every imaginable circumstance: there's David who committed adultery and murder, and he finished; there's John the Baptist who had a weird personality, and he finished; there's John Mark the quitter, and he finished; and Mary the prostitute, and she finished; and William Carey, plodder, and he finished; and Jonathan Edwards who got kicked out of his church, and he finished; and Job who suffered so much, and he finished; and Stephen who was hated and stoned, and he finished; and Mary Slessor and Amy Carmichael and St. Paul who served as single people all their lives, and they finished; and there's Wyman and Jerry and Rollin, and they all finished. Well, by the power and faith that got them through I'm going to finish too!" - John Piper

empty heart - pour out to me!

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high!
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life be past;
Safe into the haven guide,
Oh, receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me!
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call?
Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—
Lo! on Thee I cast my care:
Reach me out Thy gracious hand!
While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand,
Dying, and, behold, I live!

Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in Thee I find:
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy name;
I am all unrighteousness:
False and full of sin I am;
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound,
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art
Freely let me take of Thee:
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity!
- Charles Wesley, 1740

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1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
- Isaiah 61:1-4

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My Psalm to the LORD

To You alone I will sweetly sing & boldly declare:

Perfect Father – You are my all.
Faithful Husband – How do you stay with your whore bride?
Oh I love You. I love You.

Oh Lord, these lies I believe!
Somehow I still hear them – what am I to do?
Lies. Horror. Terror. Deceit. Fear.
They keep me alone, they keep me down, they put distance between me and You.

Turn my protective walls of a fortress into Your mighty Kingdom!
I am Yours. You are mine. You are near.
May I tremble at the closeness of your Presence!
Let me just drink it in!

Lord, I have hidden myself from others.
I have taken my white sheet and covered me up, but I am still there, just below this thin sheet.
Self-protection. Pride. Shame. Loneliness. Judgment. Fear.
Self-Protection and Fear have been my gods.
Against You and You alone have I sinned.

Father, please rip away this white sheet of protection!
It keeps me committed to my gods.

It keeps me from You.
I don’t want to be apart from You! I don’t want to trust anything more than You!
I resign! I don’t want to be my own Savior!
Only You Lord! ONLY You!

Wrap me in Your Presence.
I am Your precious Daughter! Hold me near!

Lord, I will lie down in the midst of the city. I will stand in the middle of destruction.
I will go into the wilderness. I will enter chaos.
If that is where you go, I will go too.
I lie down and see your light all around me. Where you go, I will go.

Lord, reach out to me! Help me to reach to You!
I cannot do this alone. I cannot run this race without You.
Oh Lord, hold my hand. Let us be ever so close.
Even closer as the days pass. I want to know more of You.

Overwhelm me with Your Presence! Surprise me with Your Reign.
God reigns! My Perfect Father reigns! My Faithful Husband is KING!
And He is my Savior; I need You. My Counselor, I cherish You.
Perfect Father, You fill me. Spirit, You never leave me.
You are my Master, I will not go free! You are my King, I will put my face to the ground!

You deliver me from darkness and keep me in Your light.
And You do it again and again – I rest my hope in Your Deliverance.
Holy Savior, Perfect Father, Precious and Powerful Spirit, I love You! Keep me near!

Come. See. Follow. Found. Life. Light. Purpose. Love.

 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." – John 8:12

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. - John 12:26-27

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. - Psalm 138:7-8

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." – Mark 10:21

The Great Walk

© 2009 Kristy Wakefield

As I pray, I feel His presence come over me.
He begins to show me…
A Dad and his little child walking, hand in hand.
As I watch, I know it is Him and I.
He is walking with me.

He asks me if I would like to go on a walk.
Without a thought I say “yes,”
All the while knowing that this would be more than just an ordinary walk.
He is going to walk with me forever.
He tells me to “follow Him.”
To give up all else and follow Him.
He is walking with me.

We walk, hand in hand.  Sometimes I hesitate, sometimes I run.
He is walking with me.
Sometimes I dance, sometimes I sing.
He is walking with me.

Sometimes He picks me up and carries me,
While other times He gives me a needed push to face the things I fear the most.
When I am alone, hopeless, lost, or saddened by the world,
He knows His purpose.  He knows the direction.
He is walking with me.

When the road becomes too weary, I see His outstretched arms.
He knows how much I need Him.
He gives me strength enough to reach for Him.
He is walking with me.

As He walks with me, He leads.
We walk, hand in hand; He shows me love.
He leads me in the way everlasting.
His path looks crooked from my worldly lenses, 
But His is a straight and narrow path that leads to life.
He is walking with me.

As we walk, I pause.
He gently presses His hand against my back,
“Keep walking with me…I know what is ahead.
Our walk will not be taken by darkness, for I am the light of life.”

He is walking with me.

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“God takes care of the lilies and the sparrows and God will take care of you. Just come.” – Mother Theresa

Divine Father. Divine Love. Adopted Child.

“Father” “Perfect Father” “My Father in Heaven, hallowed be thy name” These are the words of a child addressing her divine Father. “Abba, Father,” these are the words of Jesus addressing His divine Father (Matthew 14:36), but also the words of His Spirit, whom God has sent into our hearts (Galatians 4:6).

This is my very favorite and most life-changing aspect of my relationship with God. So, when sitting down to write about it, I thought, “this will be something I will be able to write about!” But when it came to writing, instead of words, I had tears, instead of thoughts, I had story after story of God as my Father. Instead of knowledge/doctrine of God, I have intimate moments, knowledge of God’s love for me, His knowing me, His protection, His provision, His comfort, His assurance, and His counsel. The greatness in knowing God as my Father is in the smallness of knowing that I am His child.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”-Romans 8:14-15

For more, check out Romans 8:12-17 and Galatians 4:1-11.

"He is contrasting the fear of a slave with the affection of a son. The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to change our slavish fears toward God into confident, happy, peaceful affection for God as our father.” – John Piper

J.I. Packer states, “Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption” and describes adoption as “the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification.” (justification: tried and found innocent)

Not only are we found innocent of our trespasses, our daily strivings for other things over God, but we are adopted into relationship with God our Creator & not just into any relationship, but as a child with God as a Perfect Father! It’s like what Jesus has!

We are children of the Most High; this is our unique & powerful new identity! Being a child of God is a whole new identity. Being a child of God is non-circumstantial. I know no instances in the Bible where people got everything together and everything right in their life and that is where they met God. I met God as my Perfect Father when I was broken and in need of a Father. That is where I meet Him still.

All this is ours in Christ Jesus. It’s all free. And it’s not in response to our worth. Love is not based on another’s worth, it is based on the lover’s ability to love. And in the end, His divine love is an overflow of His worth. In God doing what only God is able, in His passion He went to the cross, defeated death, shattered brokenness and self-salvation to point to what is greater than all things, to what will make us supremely happy forever, namely HIMSELF. He gives us more than a new identity, a new way of life, He points all things to Himself and works to give us what is best, and that is Himself, as our Most Perfect and Supremely Passionate and Intimate Father.

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

This is the intimacy God seeks to have with us and sends His Spirit to aide in our intimate relationship (“God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’"- Galatians 4:6). In crying to our Father; He knows that we need a Father to cry to in this broken world. He knows me and knows that I cannot find satisfaction apart from Him.

Take some time to be alone with your Father. I have “Father/Daughter dates” with Him. Jesus escaped to be alone with the Father (Mark 1:35); as women and men fighting to be close to God in a distance-prone, individualistic society, we must escape to be alone with Him, for our spirits to cry “Abba, Father!” I can’t do this on my own anymore! After all, how can we be comforted if we’re always comfortable? How can we be counseled if we’re always “okay”? How can we be helped if we don’t need anybody? How can we have a relationship with the Father if we do not know that we are His child?