You Understand My Thought Afar Off

Psalm 139:2 - You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

Oh, how I know the Lord hears even my thoughts. This is sort of an addendum to the August 27 blog.  Although I struggled with the idea of feeling alone in a congregation, it wasn't the congregation I was feeling alone in...I was feeling out of God! If I had determined to stay home, though I dragged my feet to go to a church God had directed me to, I would not have become aware that I was in a very large, painful wilderness...until last Sunday.

I have tried a couple times to write this but fell short, wandering here and there in my thoughts.

Maybe I should just say this, when we acknowledge in whatever way we can that we will follow Christ, no matter what, it frees us from unnecessary burdens. I mean really frees us.

I also believe because I was obedient in my leaving one church and going to another I was experiencing doubt that only comes from the enemy...and often these trials come just before something big happens in your life. Call me crazy, but something is about to happen...and it's exciting. A breakthrough for me. But I needed to be tried first.

Last Sunday all I had been going through came to a head. Overhearing someone talking about something brought a comment from me that exploded the conversation without my feeling intrusive or changing of the subject. But I just happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right person and she walked me through a series of questions relating to my complaint, confusion, whatever it was. It ended with an If God chose not to do give you relief from this, would you still follow Him? As difficult as this was, determining whether I would follow God in spite of unanswered prayer I said Absolutely...despite how hard it would be. I knew the reverent fear of God was greater. I knew Him to be the only truth in life...and knowing the only truth also meant having some real idea what real life was all about...real life is trusting God in all things, especially when you don't sense His presence.

After a powerful, weepy day in church I wept going home and wanted nothing more than to be alone with my thoughts and with the Lord, to let all that transpired settle deep in my spirit. I'm certain today it's still settling in. The anguish I'd felt for a very long time, the aloneness I'd felt, the fear that I was walking slowly away from God, the feeling of helplessness, lack of joy and peace, was no more. A huge burden had been lifted.

All because of God's perfect timing. Just when I was certain I'd done something to cause Him to leave me and I was beside myself, He let me know I was not alone...and that others have been where I was. He'd heard my thoughts afar off...even though they may have been verbal as I wandered around the house! He was well acquainted with my tears as well.

Why did I have to go through this? As a test of my faith. It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last but maybe I will have an even greater understanding and next time just allow the test to take place, knowing, despite what thoughts and feelings I have (which are not always mine nor His but the enemy's) He is there.

Shrinking back is not an option. But digging in is. Shouting to Him in no uncertain terms that He will always be my God no matter what is what is necessary. That whatever may befall me, I will trust in Him. Only He knows why we are allowed to go through periods of unrest in our lives. It boils down to this: we must trust Him in all things. If we are His children, He has not forsaken us. We are being tested and tried that we might come out of His refining fire.

Hallelujah!

1Peter 1:7 -  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ...

Let Those Who Have Ears Hear

Revelation 13:9 - If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

This is a time of testing. Who will be able to stand?

These were the words I heard in my spirit one night. I'm sure it had something to do with my beginning the book, Radical, by David Platt. Radical is about radical Christianity which will go against what most people want to believe or even want to hear about. Ooooh, I'm thinking if people don't like hearing what they believe radical Christians now are saying, just wait.

The next words I heard came from Psalm 24:4 as an answer to the question which tells us He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. How clean are my hands? How pure is my heart? Do I lift up my soul to idols? Have a sworn deceitfully? Will I be able to stand? These are questions I must contemplate.

More came to me as I remained silent. We need to remove our cloaks. Huh? We need to remove all doubt, pride, fear, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness. We must be devoid of self. 

More thoughts came: This is a hard word. Who can hear it? Who will hear it? Let those who have ears, hear. 

I will mention time and again that Jesus spoke hard words. We must be able to get to the bottom of ourselves and remove our self from between us and Jesus. Are we are willing to  quiet ourselves before the Lord and let our ears hear?

We need to get past the noise and busyness of each day to listen to what He has to say. I read that "he that has ears" was a phrase used to instill in us a deep sense of importance to the words that were written before or after it. The word given was meant to be held in serious introspection. This phrase was used many times in regard to the Church in the book of Revelation to let us know we have a problem and we need to seriously consider changing who we are. God knew then what we would be like today!

Will the truth of God's Word be bandied about as some meaningless dribble of days long ago? Will anyone hear? I've mentioned before a remnant of people. I've mentioned the narrow road and the only Way, Jesus. I would not want to be ignorant of God's ways. I've mentioned the only way we can understand the mysteries of God are to be in right relationship with Him, to allow the power of the Holy Spirit come into our lives and show us things we may not see without Him. 

The Church has been partially at fault for the watering down of the Gospel message as Christ was speaking it. It's too offensive for some so they have spoken about half of Jesus...the love aspect...while not emphasizing the judgmental aspect He also is. These words that came to me may have been for me or they may have been for our particular church. We have a group of people who are very intent on raising up the dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14). We all need to get to a different place. We need to be "re-formed." We all, including the Church in general, need to be intent on getting the truth of God's word into the hearts of people.

But as the first words I heard said, this is a time of testing. Will we be able to rise up ourselves and stand? Will we contend for the faith? Will we bring new life to our church? Are our hands clean and hearts pure? These are the things we need to be seeking. We need to humble ourselves before God and ask that He give us proper direction.

Playing church is no longer an option. Seeking bodies over souls is not an option. And we must not just win the souls, we must disciple them. We cannot allow a person to only say a prayer, smile and congratulate them and let them just sit back with a cozy feeling of "all's well." I fear I've been in that place of "security" and it's more than just that. We need to question where we really stand with Christ.

We are commissioned as believers to do God's will and His will is all based on obedience to what He calls us to do. And...we are to be ready in season and out...at all times...to forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead, [and] press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). We are to proclaim the hope of our calling, which is our eternal destiny. 

But we are not proclaiming it as just for ourselves. It is for all people. This is the whole point of the Gospel, to reach all mankind. If others can see our confidence in so great a salvation perhaps others will want to attain the same. How do we know we are doing this?

Although many may not understand the implications of what is happening in Egypt right now, and to be sure, I'm only understanding a small part of it, I know it is continuing to usher in the last days. Somehow, some way, it is connected to Israel. Why does the world hate Israel? Is it because this little nation, despite all that happens to them, always seems to plod along even when things look the dimmest? I'm sure there a very deep-seated, underlying reason so many countries, with some in the US becoming part of this, turning their backs on this nation. Is this underlying "threat" closely related to Jesus? He's a Jew and He's closely linked to Christianity, is He not? 

Oh, I don't want to get into detail but I can say that this Muslim Brotherhood that is rising up in Egypt no doubt hates Israel...and Christians...and definitely wants to exterminate all who do not bow to Allah. And now we have a president who wants this brotherhood to participate in the political process there, who apparently supports them. The implications: Islam is growing and we are in peril. God and Christianity is trying to be eliminated...it's offensive...but we must not offend Islam. Makes no sense. But you know what? Jesus will return some day in the midst of the worst-case scenario and He will return with a voice of triumph and every knee will bow and tongue confess...

This is a time of testing. Who will be able to stand? I think those whose eyes are focused on the Lord, who understand the times we're living in, who hope and wait anxiously for His return, who realize peace will be restored after the difficult times and all evil will be blotted out, will stand in the face of testing. It won't be easy. But it's part of God's plan, these last days, which I believe we have begun to see...which can also be viewed as a hard truth and one that might be scoffed at.

All this to say, these are times of testing. Will we fall in step with the world view and hang on to embracing diversity or will we stand up to our faith in Christ alone, despite people looking at us like we're out of our mind? Those intent on focusing on the Lord are to reach out now and speak things that will not be generally liked. I don't know if any of this makes any sense...

Jesus and only He will stand the test of time. Why? Because He speaks the truth. I want to be counted as one who will also be standing in the time of testing. There will be some cost to this. My cloak of "whatever" needs to be removed now. I don't think we have a clue what lies ahead in this world, but we can be motivated by knowing to what end we can be assured of if we have clean hands and a pure heart and an obedient heart toward the Lord.

Colossians 2:2 - My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ...