"and His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord"

The title of this blog is from Isaiah 11:1-11 preferable noting to verse 3a ... and the words below are from a little Advent time Lectio Divina suggested by The Transforming Center.

Meditation on the word that stuck out: Delight

Delight. His delight. Whose delight. Jesus. and me.

Jesus delighted in the Father. His Father. A hard concept to understand or wrap your head around. Jesus and His Father (God) are one. But that is not where I'm going with my thoughts, so I ask you to accept this doctrine IN faith.

A child delights as her creative mind takes something she sees on a television ad or in a newspaper store ad and thinks this something will bring her happiness, or fun, or hours of pleasure, and is 'sure' to satisfy. She thinks, "It's the Oh-O-O-O-O-NLY thing I want for Christmas."

But, we all know one thing for sure, any 'thing' only fills or satisfies for a little while.

But, delighting in the fear of the Lord is a forever thing. Even on this side of heaven.

God delights in His children, He knows every last thing about us, after all, he made us! And he called that creation "good."

But we spoiled it. Because of sin, in us and from us, there is a distance we cannot span to fully delight in the fear of the Lord, because the law brings only death. A gap we cannot attempt to fill with good things we do, the forever gap.

But Christ fills that distance perfectly. In fact, he full-filled (hope my scholarly friends do not cringe at that!) Christ the Lord, the babe we see in the straw. Born to live, to die, to rise. The manger and the empty tomb go hand in hand. It's the two places we peer in, to find Jesus. The baby, Emmanuel: God with Us, in our world, for us. Thirty years later, the man, and the message of the angel He is NOT HERE! HE IS RISEN! Our complete delight.

Prayer: Oh Lord, because of your great love and delight for me through the gift of your Son Jesus Christ I respond in thanksgiving and thanksliving. And that by Christ's redemptive blood, I can fully "delight" in your ways, here on earth and forever with You in eternity. In your precious name, Jesus. Amen.

LW hymn 392 with everyday 'ala Deb' language inserted ...

Oh that the Lord would guide my ways
To keep his statues still!
Oh that my God would grant me grace
To know and do His will.

I need you to guide me because I do not always
do the right thing, I need your love to show me
what you would have me do in all situations that
tempt me or when my mind is unclear and confused.

Order my footsteps by Your Word
and make my heart sincere;
Let sin have no dominion Lord,
But keep my conscience clear.

Help me to follow you with only Your Word as
my guide. Nothing from the world can take your place.
Keep my motivations pure. Do not let my flesh, this world,
or the devil have deceptive power over me.

Assist my soul, too apt to stray;
a stricter watch to keep;
If ever I forget your way,
Restore Your wandering sheep.

I wander so often, I look to things to fill me
to show me the right way. Keep my eyes focused in
your directions, and when I get off the path
find me and bring me back to you.

Make me to walk in your commands
a most delightful road;
Nor let my head or heart or hands
offend against my God.

See that my foot doesn't slip from your ways
on your solid ground I will find true freedom and joy.
See that any other part of my body, mind, and soul
does not bring offense to you, my Lord and my King.

Summer, swimming, Maddy and other hmmm...ings

This has been a different summer for me … I usually head to the lake often, but usually love it from the view of a chair on the beach and a good book in hand. But this year, I’ve found myself dropping my stuff off and before sitting down I head straight out into the water. Of course, the weather and the water is a lot warmer than usual, that may be less of a bother for me. But none-the-less, it’s been wonderful to not slow down or turn back and just swim.

Swimming is kind of a freeing feeling, and this year not with the usual wade on tiptoe … slowly up to my waist (yes, I’m one of those people you laugh at) and then hurry back to shore. But both feet flat on the lake floor, then dive in, soak it up, arms over head (you may still laugh at this picture). The kind of swimming that I always admired in Brian and the kids.

I surprise myself, wondering why swim this year? What is so different?

I’m older (maybe a little wiser/maybe not). But, maybe the circumstances surrounding Maddy’s illness with cancer and then subsequent death, maybe finding more about ‘being alive’ because of the lessons I learned from her life. One of those many lessons was to be fully in the moment. Surrendering to God in whatever comes your way. Perhaps, not wanting what seems ‘ordinary or everyday’ to pass by without notice. Maybe just wanting to live each day as God lays it out, not worrying about tomorrow (or my hair – after all Maddy had only begun to get hers back before she ‘went home’).

Honestly, I’m not as much concerned with the why’s anymore… having to have everything all figured out … but instead learning to go on faith, without knowing the whys, “seizing the day” with the Lord through what I would say the is one of the most difficult journey as a family we’ve taken so far.

This morning, I found myself in I Thessalonians 5. ^“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” Not easy all the time to give thanks ‘for’ all circumstances, but that is not what God’s Word says … it says ‘in’ all … big difference. Today, for me, that would be giving thanks that God is ‘in’ every moment with us - is present, shows up, and will be glorified – in all circumstances I/we am/are going through.

My prayer is that you will read God’s Word more frequently, understand it more deeply, come to know Him more closely (even through two letter words like ‘in’), love Him more dearly, and begin to share Him more freely. Sometimes, circumstances help us in ways we’d never ‘get it’ or to see Him so clearly at work in our lives and the lives of those we love . So my challenge to you very this day is just dive in, no matter what circumstances you are ‘in’, swim full out, no timid tiptoes, into the deep waters of God’s Word and trust Him in His promises – I pray He compels you to go for it. One thing I can tell you, for sure, - the ‘water’s’ just fine!

Struggling to Trust and Sunday's Scriptures

I'm struggling to trust God.

Oh, not everything, but some things.

The BIG things.
Sure I have questions, lots of them. So much has happened in the past few years.

But only one question really matters, one posed in the scriptures for this Sunday.
"Is anything too hard for God?"

Sure, I've heard the cliche' "God is bigger than my BIG things." I go to church, I work for the church, I pray, and I even sing songs that proclaim truth.

But ... do I still blow this trust thing? Does opportunity to learn to trust more pass me by without my notice? Do I miss out on what the Lord has for me, just because I can't get my mind and my heart to line up, to 'get my head' around it?

Faith. And another Bible verse rolls in. "Faith is not by sight." And I also remember, Faith doesn't follow feelings. Feelings follow Faith.

This Faith that I am talking about has its foundations on Truth.

And I have Faith. God bestowed it/gifted it to me upon my Baptism. And through His Holy Spirit He causes this Faith to grow. So today, maybe I can't get my head completely around it, and the BIG things haven't changed, and maybe I don't feel so strong in my faith or so trustingly in my Lord, but ... God promised it ... in His Word ... and that grace is enough for today to find this truth:

When Jesus gave Himself to the Cross, He died for me, offered all of Himself to get me right with God, to put my entire life together. Not just this part or that part. But all of it - my heart, my mind, my soul. Whole and holy in His presence.

I don't know about You, but I wouldn't walk away from a gift like that! No one in their right mind would. how could you say, nah, not today? Maybe later. How could you say no to this Man? For by Him, only Jesus, can you stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust.

Constantly tuned in to His Truth ... His Word.

Careful.

Not to be distracted or diverted.

These prayers are from the NIV Worship Bible (page 1588)
I am made complete in the One Who is completely God. I am possessed and embraced by the One in Whose nature is fullness of life and hope and peace. In You, Christ Jesus, Holy One, I am holy in You. Christ Jesus, Peace Maker, I am now reconciled to God. In You, Christ Jesus, Mystery of God, I am now hidden. Only in You is found this truth beyond imagination, this love beyond reason, this grace beyond measure. God is not ashamed of me! What rest, what joy, what unspeakable wonder is mine to know that because I am in You, Lord Jesus, God is proud to call Himself my Father.

(Page 1394)
I thank You that You are not a harsh task master. You did not save me to make me Your slave; nor must I try somehow to 'work off' my debt to You. You want me to serve You from the motivation of love rather than the obligation of duty. And love requires time alone together. Lord, help me to heed Your call to come away from the activities of the day and to sit quietly in your presence and commune with you.

Song by Jesus and Jami Smith :
Come Unto Me, all you who are weary
Come Unto Me, all you who need rest
Take up my Yoke, and learn all about Me
And I will give you rest.

Why do you linger?
Why do you wait?
You carry on without me.
I've always been here
but still you hesitate
I have much in store for you
if only.
You would ...

Come Unto me, all you who are weary
Come Unto me, all you who need rest
Take up My yoke and learn all about me
and I will give you rest.

Yes, and I will give you rest.
Sweet rest.
I will give you rest.