dwell, gaze, seek

Opening Prayer: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)

Scripture: Psalm 27:4

Journal: What is the “one thing” you are asking of the Lord these days?  Where does dwelling, gazing, and seeking fall on your list?  If you took time and made space to do those three things, how would your life be different?  How different would your level of intimacy with God be?

Reflection: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)

I don’t know about you, but I don’t typically ask to dwell, gaze, and seek.  I’m far too busy asking for my circumstances to change.  But circumstances are fleeting; they are only the tip of the iceberg.  A lot more substantial things lie underneath the surface.  Maybe it’s those things I need to address.  Maybe those are the “things” I need to “ask” for.  Maybe I need to ask God to do a work in me that’s far bigger than my ever-changing circumstances.  Wouldn’t that be a much better thing to ask for?   

We all long for spiritual intimacy with God but are often resistant to doing the very things that can bring it about.  We want the result, but don’t want to have to invest in the process.  Thus, the problem spiritual practice is that it only works if we do it.  The spiritual practices work on us, not on God.  They make time and space for spiritual intimacy to be more of a possibility.

If we set aside time and make space to dwell in his presence, to gaze upon his beauty, and to seek him in his temple, our level of spiritual intimacy is bound to increase.  For it is in the dwelling that deep knowing takes place, it is in the gazing that our hearts are captured by his beauty and his love, and in the seeking that we find him—and are found by him—in new and deeper ways.

I suppose that’s why it’s the “one thing” King David “asked of the Lord.”  And we might want to do the same. 

O Lord, we just ask for one thing: help us to learn how to dwell in you, give us eyes to gaze upon your beauty, and give us a heart that is continually seeking after you.  If you give us that, we will know you deeper and better than our hearts ever imagined.

Pray

Closing Prayer: “I’m only asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long.  I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet.  That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world.  The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic.” (Psalm 27:4, MSG)

all things new

Opening Prayer: “I am not making all new things; I am making all things new.  That includes you!  How do you long to be made new these days?  Will you give me the space and the time to make that happen, or will you continue to try and do it yourself?” ~Jesus

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-7

Journal: What “things” is God making new in you these days?  What old things need to be let go of in order to make room to fully receive the new?  How are you longing for the day when he will make all things new?

Reflection: The “new” that God will bring about, both within us and among us, cannot be commandeered, manipulated, or controlled.  It can’t be contrived or forced.  It can only be received.  It is a gift, coming down out of heaven.  Thus, our only job is to watch and wait and keep our hands empty and open, which is much harder than it sounds.

But in order to be truly received, the new must be fully taken hold of once it arrives.  It can’t just be seen and acknowledged; it must be lived.  Which means that our old ways of being and seeing must be surrendered and abandoned in order to give this new life room to grow and take shape and take root within us.  

Pray

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the now and the not yet.  Thank you that you are making some things new and that one day you will make all things new.  Give us the patience and the strength and the perseverance to wait for that day.

the valley of the shadow

Opening Prayer: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

Scripture: Psalm 23:4

Journal: Have you ever walked through the valley of the shadow?  How and when?  What did that journey do in you?  How did it change you?  How might you be walking through the valley of the shadow right now?  Do you sense God with you?  How are his rod and his staff comforting you?

Reflection: People who have journeyed “through the valley of the shadow of death” come out differently.  They are more grateful, more humble, more gentle, more compassionate, and more Christlike.  Every day is a gift, and they treat it as such.  Every breath they take is an act of divine mercy. 

They are no longer consumed with what they have lost but captured and compelled by what they have gained.  There is no more entitlement or demandingness, but only peace and grace and gratitude.  Love has become primary, and self has become peripheral.  They are no longer motivated by need but are free to love.

Pray

Closing Prayer: “Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side.  Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.” (Psalm 23:4, MSG)

yoke

Opening Prayer: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Journal: Whose yoke are you wearing these days?  Where did it come from?  What kind of behavior does it cause?  What would it look like to take on the yoke of Jesus instead?

Reflection: If I am tired and weary, could it be because I am not listening to the voice of the One who says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”?  Could it be because I am not wearing His yoke, which is easy, and carrying His burden, which is light?  And if I’m not wearing the yoke of Jesus, and carrying his burden, then whose yoke am I wearing and what burdens am I carrying?  Could it be that I and weary and burdened because I am wearing the yoke and carrying the burdens of someone other than Him?

Pray

Closing Prayer: “Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, MSG)

good

Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank you that you are always good, regardless of what life may throw at us.  Help us to never succumb to the temptation of interpreting your goodness in light of our circumstances, but to always interpret our circumstances in light of your goodness.

Scripture: Psalm 27:13-14

Journal: Where have you seen God’s goodness lately?  What has caused you to doubt his goodness?  How have you experienced his goodness even when your circumstances were challenging or chaotic?

Reflection:

          good

if God is good

he’s good all the time

as long as everything

goes according to plan

we have no problem

trusting and thanking him

but the minute things go awry

trust disappears and faith fails

our belief in his goodness

turns into anger, frustration

and demandingness

if God is good

he’s good all the time

not just when things go our way

his goodness and his love are

big enough and durable enough

to sustain us whatever the circumstance

Pray

Closing Prayer: O Lord, give me eyes to see your goodness today, regardless of my circumstances.

 

the thorn

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that your grace is sufficient for me.  If it were not, I could never endure the thorn.  Use that thorn to accomplish your good purpose in my life and in your world.  For your glory.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Journal: What is the thorn in your life right now?  How is the sufficiency of God’s grace helping you deal with it?  What is the thorn doing in your life and heart these days?  How is it helping make you into the servant and lover God desires you to be?

Reflection:

the thorn

if not for the struggle

i would never know the joy

if not for the weakness

i would never know your strength

if not for the stretching

i would never know the growth

if not for the groaning

i would never know the hope

if not for my insufficiency

i would never know your sufficiency

if not for the thorn

i would never know your grace

thank you for the thorn

Pray

Closing Prayer: Forgive me, Lord Jesus, when I run from my weakness, or try to hide it, when you tell me to embrace my weaknesses and live out of them.  For only when I embrace the thorn can I experience your strength and grace.

sprout

Opening Prayer:  O God, thank you that you are ever and always the God who comes.  And it’s not just that you came, but it’s also how you came that captures and compels us.  Help us, Lord Jesus, to be like you.  Help us to show up the way you showed up: in humility and meekness and hiddenness and vulnerability and love.  Only then will the world know that we belong to you.

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-16

Journal: What amazes you about how God showed up in his creation?  How does this encourage you to do the same?  What will that look like?

Reflection: “In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line.” (Jeremiah 33:15)

Sometimes how you show up can be nearly as important as if you show up.  That’s definitely the case with the Nativity.  The fact that God chose to come into the world he created is mind-blowing enough, but when you couple that with how he chose to come into that world, it’s even more amazing.  He came into his world as a sprout.

It was not a big, splashy, showy entrance, but one that was meek and humble and subtle and hidden.  A sprout is kind of that way.  It is small and intimate and hardly noticeable.  You probably would not even see it if you weren’t looking carefully for it, particularly at the beginning.  A sprout is also weak and vulnerable and dependent.  It is connected to and rooted in something deep and life-sustaining.  A sprout is not something that happens fast, but something that takes time and space to grow into all it is to become.  Thus, sprouting into a Branch is a long, slow process. 

That is how the Almighty God chose to enter his creation: through the womb of a poor teenage girl, in an out-of-the-way stable, in the tiny town of Bethlehem, with the only onlookers being a few shepherds and some weary travelers.  On top of that, he spent the next thirty years in virtual anonymity before he ever stepped into the limelight.  He took time to deeply know the place and the people he was coming to.  Knowing and being known must have been very important to him.  Therefore, it should be important to us as well.

If that’s how God chose to come into our world, maybe we should do the same.  Maybe we should be more like him.  Maybe we too should show up in humility and meekness and hiddenness.  Maybe we too should show up in weakness and dependence and vulnerability.  Maybe we should plant our feet in a place and walk around for a while.  Maybe we should get to know people deeply and well.  Maybe we should walk and work side-by-side with them and get our hands dirty.  Maybe we should be so intimately connected with our God that we would begin to care about the things he cares about and love the things he loves.  Maybe we should be just a sprout, like him.

Pray

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to be a sprout, just like you.  Help me to come like you came, to live like you lived, and to love like you loved.

prepare the way

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, show me what preparing the way for you is supposed to look like in this season of my life.  And then give me the wisdom and the strength and the grace to do it.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:3-5, Matthew 3:1-6

Journal: What does it look like in your life right now to “Prepare the way for the Lord” and “make straight paths for him”?  Will you?

Reflection: “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” (Mt. 3:3) That’s what this season is all about.  Thus, each of us must do some soul-searching, some praying, and some seeking if we ever want to figure out what this needs to look like in our lives.

The truth that both Isaiah and John the Baptist proclaimed was that “the Messiah is coming, so you’d better get ready.”  Therefore, each one of us must invest some time and space figuring out just how to make the paths straight for his entrance, both within us and among us.  Otherwise, when he comes there will be no room for him in our souls, the same way there was no room for him in the inn. 

Pray

Closing Prayer: Prepare the way, O Lord, both within us and among us, for your entry into our hearts and our world.

jesus waits

Opening Prayer: “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (Psalm 130:5)

Scripture: Hebrews 10:11-14

Journal: Where and how are you waiting for the Lord these days?  How do you feel about that?  What consolation does it give you that Jesus knows all about waiting and can meet you in the midst of it?

Reflection: Jesus waits.  That’s right, Jesus waits.  Jesus waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.  In other words, although the redemption of Jesus is full and complete, he still waits for that redemption to be revealed, just like we do.  He has redeemed us (and all things) in full, which is why he was able to sit down—his work was done.  We, however, will not be able to see and experience the fullness of that redemption until the end.  Therefore, if we are weary and frustrated and losing heart in our waiting, Jesus is wonderfully able to meet us and to help us in the midst of it.

Pray

Closing Prayer: “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6)

from nazareth to bethlehem

Opening Prayer: There is a journey ahead, O Lord, a journey of life and love and new birth that you are inviting me to.  It will be a difficult journey, but it will also be a beautiful one.  Help me to say yes to it today and every day.

Scripture: Luke 2:1-7; Isaiah 43:18-19

Journal: What journey of new birth does God have you on these days?  What is it like?  What is hard about it?  What is beautiful? 

Reflection: There’s nothing easy about the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, especially if you are nine months pregnant at the time.  It is a dangerous and grueling four-day (minimum) journey, and that’s if you choose to take the most direct route through Samaria, which a good Jew never would.  Avoiding Samaria altogether turns it into a weeklong journey instead.  So, either way it is going to involve seventy to ninety miles, thirty-five hours of walking or riding spread out over four to seven days.

That’s the journey before each of us as the season of Advent begins.  That is the process we must go through in order for the “new thing” to be born in each of us.  There’s no way around it.  New birth always comes about as the result of a great journey.  A journey that will not be easy.  In fact, it might be more challenging and demanding than you ever imagined.  So, climb aboard your donkey and let’s get started.  Watch and wait and struggle and pray and imagine and hope.  The new thing that is to be born in you will make it all worth it.  It is a birth that is more beautiful and more glorious and more amazing than you could ever imagine, but it won’t be easy to get there.  It will be long and hard but will end in a glorious result—new life!

I am expecting my first granddaughter in June and couldn’t be more excited!  I spend a lot of time praying and imagining and celebrating but really won’t know the full depths of her beauty and her life and her presence until the day she comes forth and is born into this world.  I cannot wait until that day!  I cannot wait to get my hands on this little miracle and pour out my love on her, the same way I have with my two amazing grandsons before her.  That’s what the season of Advent is all about, it’s about that joyful, expectant, hopeful, excited waiting.  Thus, we can endure the hard and the painful and the uncomfortable and the exhausting, because God is doing a new thing, and we can’t wait to see it and hold it and know it and love it.  Thanks be to Him!    

Pray

Closing Prayer: O Lord, give me the courage and the strength and the grace to embark on this journey of new life and new birth you are inviting me to.  Don’t let the hard keep me from pressing on to the good and beautiful.

and it begins

Opening Prayer: Thank you, O Lord, for your promise.  Thank you that you will never leave us all alone but will come to redeem us, just as you said you would.  Help us to keep a lookout for that coming, for the sprouting of that righteous Branch, in the days and weeks ahead.

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:17-19

Journal: What is your deepest hope for the season ahead?  Why?

Reflection: “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.  In those days and at the right time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.  In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety.  This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.” (Jeremiah 33:17)

The days are coming.  Indeed, they are coming, just as they did for the ones who first received these words of Jeremiah’s prophecy.  Just as they did for those who were waiting and watching for the Holy One, The Lord Our Righteousness, to come to earth.

Once again, that season of hope and expectation is upon us.  The season when we receive the gracious promise once again and look forward to how it will be fulfilled in the days and weeks ahead.  The season when we look forward to God’s arrival, both among us and within us, and make time and space for that arrival to happen.

What is your deepest hope for the season ahead?  How are you longing for the Righteous Branch to sprout in your life and in our world?  How are you longing for the day of hope and life and love and peace and rest to come?

Pray

Closing Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus!