Possibilities
Some mornings I wake up and my head is so dull, my heart is so unfeeling towards God...I ask under my breath, "God, do I even love you?". And when this goes on for a few weeks or so, it is even more disquieting.
And then some mornings, like today, God answers me before I even finish my sad questions to Him with reminders like this one, "The righteous live by faith, not feelings daughter...faith."
So I pick up my Bible again to read by faith. Maybe today the words on that page written by Luke will inform my heart too...and then quite miraculously a sweet treasure opens up like a flowering bud through the Holy Spirit.
In the middle of my slow ploddings through Luke I see Him again. I read about the persistent widow (Luke 18:1~8) who keeps pleading with the judge to hear her case...Jesus reminds us to keep praying...how much more kind and compassionate is our faithful Father in heaven than the earthly judge...I can do that, I want to do that, I hope I do that, my prayers are pretty pathetic...keep praying...
So the next day I read about the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9~14). One man is self righteous, the other acknowledges his need in humility before God. Oh, I wish I had read this before my criticism of a fellow advocate for the seriously mentally ill on facebook this morning...why don't I learn to pray, read my Bible BEFORE I read the news...I am the Pharisee this morning. All day, I'm the self righteous. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Help me Lord...
And this morning. The little children and the rich man. Jesus welcomes little children. And then He tells me to be like a little child..."Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." Ugh. What does that even mean? I'm a middle aged woman, a little worn from the trials, how do I enter like a child?
So then He gets to the rich man. I know this story, I don't want to be materialistic. Help me. I'm an American. I sell vintage wares. Ugh. "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." I'm already gurgling up the disciples thoughts in my chest before they even say it..."Then who can be saved?"
Yet, shining bright on this morning are these sweet words transcending from the pages like feathers to my soul: "But he said, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
I see it. So I write in my journal, "Jesus welcomes children and rich people." He welcomes listless prayers and the self righteous. He welcomes me. The disciples can't see the rest of the story to come yet. The impossible becomes possible because of the cross.
And then I glance at the very next section. He's giving his disciples the glimpse of the coming possibilities. He tells them: "And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said."
I am sure it's no accident that this directly follows, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
Oh slow heart and head remember. Remember the possibilities of God, won for you at Calvary.
And then some mornings, like today, God answers me before I even finish my sad questions to Him with reminders like this one, "The righteous live by faith, not feelings daughter...faith."
So I pick up my Bible again to read by faith. Maybe today the words on that page written by Luke will inform my heart too...and then quite miraculously a sweet treasure opens up like a flowering bud through the Holy Spirit.
In the middle of my slow ploddings through Luke I see Him again. I read about the persistent widow (Luke 18:1~8) who keeps pleading with the judge to hear her case...Jesus reminds us to keep praying...how much more kind and compassionate is our faithful Father in heaven than the earthly judge...I can do that, I want to do that, I hope I do that, my prayers are pretty pathetic...keep praying...
So the next day I read about the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9~14). One man is self righteous, the other acknowledges his need in humility before God. Oh, I wish I had read this before my criticism of a fellow advocate for the seriously mentally ill on facebook this morning...why don't I learn to pray, read my Bible BEFORE I read the news...I am the Pharisee this morning. All day, I'm the self righteous. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Help me Lord...
And this morning. The little children and the rich man. Jesus welcomes little children. And then He tells me to be like a little child..."Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." Ugh. What does that even mean? I'm a middle aged woman, a little worn from the trials, how do I enter like a child?
So then He gets to the rich man. I know this story, I don't want to be materialistic. Help me. I'm an American. I sell vintage wares. Ugh. "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." I'm already gurgling up the disciples thoughts in my chest before they even say it..."Then who can be saved?"
Yet, shining bright on this morning are these sweet words transcending from the pages like feathers to my soul: "But he said, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
I see it. So I write in my journal, "Jesus welcomes children and rich people." He welcomes listless prayers and the self righteous. He welcomes me. The disciples can't see the rest of the story to come yet. The impossible becomes possible because of the cross.
And then I glance at the very next section. He's giving his disciples the glimpse of the coming possibilities. He tells them: "And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said."
I am sure it's no accident that this directly follows, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
Oh slow heart and head remember. Remember the possibilities of God, won for you at Calvary.
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