A Heart of Gold

Create in Me a Clean Heart - Week 8

"The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts."

Proverbs 17:3

I remember loving the song "Refiner's Fire" when I was young. "Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire is to be holy." That was the cry of my heart.

It seems so long since I felt that yearning for the purifying process. Maybe I have grown too cold. Or maybe I have come to realize that the refining fire is not as "romantically" wonderful as I thought when I was young.

I do still desire to be used for His purpose, to be set apart for His use. And I know that there is much in me that needs to be "purified." Maybe I'm not as excited about the refiner's fire, but I am confident that the fire will come when necessary and that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion.

Lord,
Thank you for the work you are faithfully continuing in my life; thank you that you are a tireless refiner, a patient potter; that you bring me the heat, the fire, the tests that will purify me.

Give me a soft heart to learn the lesson you have for me, may they bring me closer to you. Remind me to focus on you through the flames - you will keep me in perfect peace when my mind is stayed on you.

I need you Lord. And I need your refining work in my heart.
Amen

Wake Up Call!

Create in Me a Clean Heart - Week 7

"Do not love sleep, or you will become poor. Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food."

Proverbs 20:13

Ouch! Not that I'm concerned about becoming poor, but this verse is quite clear on the downside of loving sleep a little too much.

I like sleep and do not function well without it. I am not a morning person. I do not get up cheerfully in the morning and stay in bed until I HAVE to get up.

But when I sleep until the last possible moment, I start the day feeling I'm already "behind" and I spend my entire day playing "catch-up." Needless to say, this week's devotion hit me hard.

God is challenging me to GET UP in the morning; to approach each day as a day that He has made; to be glad and rejoice in it.

Lord, please give me the strength to wake up each day and rejoice. I pray that I will not give in to laziness or procrastination. I need your strength to overcome my weaknesses. I pray that I will seek you first each morning and pursue your presence throughout my day. Amen

"Get Out, Doubt"

Create in Me a Clean Heart - Week 6

"... Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Matthew 16:23

In the devotion for the week, this verse was a reminder to not allow the doubts and negative thoughts to be a stumbling block to us, but to put them "behind" us.

I admit that I did not always remember to put my doubt behind me this week, and there were times that I should have done just that. But as I review this verse again today, I am encouraged to put the failures and doubts of the week behind me, and move forward in hope and peace.

Lord, release me from my thoughts of fear and doubt; replace them with your love and hope. Help me to always been mindful of You and to draw my strength and joy from you. Amen.

The Lord's Discipline

Create in Me a Clean Heart - Week 5

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor chasten me in your hot displeasure. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak ... My soul also is greatly troubled ...

Psalm 6:1-3

This week's Clean Heart devotion is about the discipline we receive from God. I use to be afraid of the idea of receiving discipline from the Lord, especially with the legalistic view that I could never keep the "law."

But becoming a parent has brought new light to my perspective on discipline. "As a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you." (Deut 8:5)

Why do I discipline my children? Because I am mad at them? The rules, and discipline for breaking them, are to keep my children safe, and to teach them character and self-control. Yes, it is to TEACH them, not to control them.

In light of how I love my children and have no desire to hurt them, but rather desire to raise them in the "training and instruction from the Lord." (Eph 6:4)


Lord, I thank you for your mercy toward me. I welcome your discipline in my life, that I may learn the lessons you desire to teach me. Thank you for transforming me into the image of your Son! AMEN

Be still ...

The view from my parent's home this Christmas ...

Be still, and know that I am God ...

Psalm 46:10

Trusting Him

Create in Me a Clean Heart - Week 1

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3: 5-6

As I meditated on this familiar verse, I came to understand it in a very different way than I have in the past.

The phrase "with all your heart" kept echoing in my head. I have always read that as a statement of the intensity with which I trust God. But this time it took on a new meaning. Trust God with my heart itself, in addition to trusting him with my life and everything else.

My heart feels very sore, very bruised these days. It has been banged up recently by some conflict in a few close relationships. Some days I just want to hide my heart in a bubble to protect it. But these friendships are too important to me to pull out of them. The deeper the connection, the more potential for pain, but there is also a greater potential for joy.

This week I have been comforted to know that I can trust God with my hurting heart. He can heal wounds. He can restore relationships. He can give wisdom. He can bring peace.

Abide In Me

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Psalm 90:1

The place of our true belonging is not a place made by human hands. It is fashioned for us by God, who came to pitch his tent among us, invite us to his place, and prepare a room for us in his own house.

Words for "home" are often used in the Old and New Testaments. The Psalms are filled with yearning to dwell in the house of God ... It is highly significant that John describes Jesus as the Word of God living among us (John 1:14), and in his farewell address, Jesus reveals himself as the new home: "Abide in me as I abide in you" (John 15:4).

By making his home in us Jesus allows us to make our home in him. By entering into the intimacy of our innermost self he offers us the opportunity to enter into his own intimacy with God. By choosing us as his preferred dwelling place he invites us to choose him as our preferred dwelling place.This is the mystery of the Incarnation.

O God, as we celebrate your coming into the world to redeem us, may we never forget that you are our ultimate home.

LifeSigns
Henri J. M. Nouwen

Peace on Earth...

Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will toward men.

Luke 2:14

Peace on earth seems to be an elusive thing. There are wars fought around the world. Terrorism. Conflict with our neighbors and co-workers. This world is a far cry from peace.

Yet at the birth of Christ, before he had done anything, God declared "Peace on earth." The entrance of the God-Man Jesus Christ into our sinful, war-ridden world altered our existence forever. Believe it or not, there is now peace on earth.

As with so many of God's statements, there is part of this that is for us here and now, and there is part of this that is yet to come. We will see a day when we will beat our "swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks," but that peace is somewhere in the future.

Today I am pondering the part of this "peace on earth" that we currently have. After the surprising entrance onto the scene of Immanuel, God with us, we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 5:1) God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. (2 Cor 5:19)

Where we were once enemies with God, separated from his grace and love, we are now brought back into relationship with him. And he has called us to declare a message of peace, of reconciliation -- with himself, with each other, with the whole of creation.

Although we may not see this happen in our lifetime, still we have this promise: "Peace on earth, good will to men."

The Fullness of Time

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

2 Corinthians 6:2

Jesus came in the fullness of time. He will come again in the fullness of time. Wherever Jesus Christ is, time is brought to its fullness.

We often experience our time as empty. We hope that tomorrow, next week, next month, next year real things will happen to us. But sometimes we experience the fullness of time ... when time stands still ... when past, present, and future become one ... when everything is present where we are ... when God, we, and all that is have come together in total unity. That is the experience of God's time. It is in the fullness of time that we meet God.

O God, we than you for the joy of Christmas celebrations, which spring from our celebration of Jesus born into our world to save it.

Bread for the Journey
Henri J. M. Nouwen

Empty Places

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

Revelation 3:20

Is there space in our life where the Spirit of God has a chance to speak or act or show up? Being contemplative means peeling off the blindfolds that keep us from seeing his coming in us and around us and learning to listen in the spaces of quiet we leave for God.

I [Nouwen] once spent time walking in New York City. I noticed most places were filled up, with much crowded into every corner! We seem to have a fear of empty spaces. We want to fill up what is empty. Perhaps our fear is that an empty space means that something may happen to us that we cannot predict, that is new, that leads us to a place we might not want to go. I might not want to hear what God has to say.

O God, help us to nurture empty spaces in our lives so that we may be filled with your grace and peace.

Turn My Mourning Into Dancing
Henri J. M. Nouwen

God chose powerlessness

Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.
Matthew 11:29

God chose powerlessness. God chose to enter into human history in complete weakness. That divine choice forms the center of the Christian faith. In Jesus of Nazareth, the powerless God appeared among us to unmask the illusion of power, to disarm the prince of darkness who rules the world, and to bring the divided human race to new unity.

Through total and unmitigated powerlessness, God shows us divine mercy. The radical, divine choice is the choice to reveal glory, beauty, truth, peace, joy, and most of all, love in and through the complete divestment of power. It is very hard -- if not impossible -- for us to grasp this divine mystery.

Jesus, in all we do and say this Advent, may we follow your example of gentleness and humility.

Finding My Way Home: Pathways to Life and the Spirit
Henri J. M. Nouwen

World AIDS Day!

I know I'm a day late, but I wanted to acknowledge World AIDS day.

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of World AIDS day. There have been huge advances in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the last two decades, but there is so much work to be done --

• 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide
• 2 million of those are innocent children
• 1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV/AIDS
• 11.6 million little children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS
• 2.7 million people newly contracted this virus in 2007 alone.

This disease such strong stigmas and stereotypes connected with it. Many of these originate because of fear and ignorance. In my mind, this is akin to leprosy in Jesus' day. Here is a strong example of his response to this feared disease and those suffering with it.

While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." Luke 5:12-13 (italics added by me)

We should be responding to those with HIV/AIDS with the same kindness. Not that we can heal everyone who has this disease, but we are called to "touch" those around us in need, both figuratively and literally.

During college, I met a single mom with two small girls (ages one and three) who had recently learned that she had AIDS. In addition to this, she was heart-broken to learn that one of her girls also had HIV. The life expectancy of her daughter was only 18 years, if she was able to remain on the expensive treatments available in this country to slow the disease.

About once a month, a friend and I would go visit this woman and play with her girls. Mostly we went to give her a break from her mothering responsibilities, and to give the girls a change of pace. This went on for about two years.

I remember one person asking me whether I every touched this woman and her children. The question reflected his fear and lack of knowledge. I shared the story of the first time she hugged me. I was so moved that she would trust me with her children and care enough to open herself up to me in this way.

I have since lost touch with this friend, but her courage in the face of this situation changed my life. I am thankful for the chance to have known her. I am also thankful that in this country she was able to receive treatment and support that she and her young daughter could not have afforded on their own.

But in Sub-Sahara Africa, there are too many mothers and young children who do not get the treatment that could prolong their lives. And there are too many new cases of HIV/ AIDS every year that could have been prevented.

Please take a moment to learn more about HIV/AIDS.

• For straight-up information, check out Wikipedia's entry on HIV and AIDS.
• For more facts and statistics, visit globalhealthreporting.org
• For opportunities to get involved, go to AMREF.org

This Blessed Book!

"When you come to this Blessed Book, the great point is to come with a deep consciousness of your ignorance, seeking on your knees the help of God, that by his Spirit he may graciously instruct you.

If you do not understand some portions, do not be discouraged, but come again and again to God, and he will guide you little by little, and further instruct you in the knowledge of his will.

And with an increasing knowledge of God obtained in a prayerful, humble way, you will receive, not something that simply fills the head, but something that exercises the heart, and cheers and comforts and strengthens you inner man."

George Muller
1805 - 1898

George Muller was a 19th century evangelist and coordinator of orphanages in Bristol, England. He lived an incredible life of faith and ministry to the poor. If you are interested in learning more about him, I recommend his autobiography or, for an easier read, George Muller: Man of Faith and Miracles.

Hope in God!

How, O Lord, can I have hope when this world is such an insecure place?
Natural calamities destroy.
Economic uncertainties abound.
Human beings kill

~ I AM the light of the world. ~

What, O God, is reliable? What is secure?
Not people.
Not institutions.
Not governments.

~ I AM the way, the truth, and the life. ~

I fear, Lord, that evil will win out in the end.
I worry that my efforts will be for nothing.
I feel overwhelmed by powers beyond my control.

~ I AM the resurrection and the life. ~

You alone, O Lord, are my hope. You alone are my safety. You alone are my strength. May I -- even with my fears and anxieties, my insecurities and uncertainties -- swing like a needle to the pole star of the Spirit.
Amen.

Richard J. Foster
Prayers from the Heart

Reborn and Unafraid!

Lord of the Flood, wash us with your Spirit that we may be your ark of life, your peace in the sea of violence.
Water is life; water cleans; water kills.
Frightened, we are tempted to make a permanent home on the ark.
But you force us to seek dry ground.
We can do so only because you have taught us to cling to our baptisms, where we are drowned and reborn by the water and fire of your Spirit.
So reborn, make us unafraid.
Amen.

Prayers Plainly Spoken
Stanley Hauerwas.

Prayer and Hope

To pray means to open your hands before God. It means slowly relaxing the tension which squeezes your hands together and accepting your existence with an increasing readiness, not as a possession to defend, but as a gift to receive.

Above all, prayer is a way of life which allows you to find a stillness in the midst of the world where you open your hands to God's promises and find hope for yourself, your neighbor, and your world.

In prayer, you encounter God not only in the small voice and the soft breeze, but also in the midst of the turmoil of the world, in the distress and joy of your neighbor, and in the loneliness of your own heart.

The Only Necessary Thing
by Henri J.M. Nouwen

The Holiness of Everyday Tasks

If all of life is truly sacred, God, then help me see the holiness of the everyday tasks of my life:
cleaning house and
laughing with friends and
eating good food and
sleeping through the night.
Amen
--
Prayers from the Heart

Richard J. Foster

Happy Reformation Day

On October 31, 1517, Luther posted his 95 thesis on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, unknowingly sparking the Protestant Reformation.

His intent was to initiate a debate on the doctrine and practices of indulgences, but this event sparked a controversy that resulted in the excommunication of Luther and his followers in 1520 ... and the Lutheran tradition was born. This eased the later creation of the Reformed and Anabaptist traditions.

Check out the Internet Christian Library (iclnet.org) to read all of Luther's 95 Theses.

The Ten Cannots

I read these on a friend's blog and thought they were worth repeating. It is an interesting perspective to consider, especially in light of the current politics.

• You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
• You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
• You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
• You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
• You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
• You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
• You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
• You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
• You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
• And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

by Reverend William J. H. Boetcker
The Ten Cannots
1916