Which Way Are You Going?

"This has been a crazy week."  How many times have you heard that line?  How many times have you said it?  I should have it tattooed on my forehead.  Seriously, it seemed everything that could be possibly fall on my calendar for the month of April, fell on last week.  To top it off, as fate would have it, my husband was out of town.  Of course!  Then, just to make things interesting, I had two kids get sick.  So let's just go ahead and throw a few doctors appointments in the mix.  Why not?

My usual mornings with the Lord got pushed out and replaced with meetings, appointments and commitments - none of which were more important but all of which I let take over.  I don't know why we are called "stay-at-home moms."  We're never home! 

I substituted a person for a planner; a relationship for a rat race; a sense of calm for significant chaos.  Ever done that?  Too often we are pre-occupied with doing rather than being.  We've got a serious case of ADD when it comes to sitting before God.  We're not content to focus on Him in worship and prayer.  It's much easier to go and "do" in His name than it is to get to know the One we claim to serve.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  He IS the way.  He is THE way.  He is the WAY.  Don't miss the impact of this simple statement.  Want to know God's will?  He is the way.  Want to know His plan for your life?  He is the way.  Need wisdom or guidance?  He is the way. 

Walking closely with God each day guarantees you'll be exactly where He wants you.  This is not to say we can't keep busy schedules but the busyness can't take the place of our relationship with Him.  That's when you know you're too busy and that's when we get out of His will.

The disciples didn't need a map of where to go as long as they had Jesus.  They just watched Him and followed!  Are you substituting a road map for a relationship with The Way?  Then you're missing out.

If we want to know God's will, we must carve out time to cultivate our relationship and learn to recognize His voice.  God is anxious to show us the way....are we ready to follow?

Lost in Translation

Recently I had to make a return at a local discount store. I hate making returns. I always feel guilty for some reason, like it's a personal insult to the cashier. I'm afraid they are going to be mad at me. Crazy, I know, and just one of my many hang-ups. The lucky cashier, who got my dysfunctional self as their customer, was friendly enough but apparently had just moved here from 'Couldn't-pronounce-it-if-I-wanted-to-stan' where English is clearly not their primary language.

While I was quite impressed with her ability to understand most of what I was saying and even speak to me in broken English, I had a difficult time understanding everything she said.  I tried hard to listen, not wanting to embarrass her by asking her to repeat herself.  She was trying so hard to communicate but my ears were not catching on.  My uneasiness excalated tenfold as we tried to mime our messages to each other. Awkward!

There is a truth in scripture that is often lost on us.  God is saying something important but we don't always have ears to hear it.  I think we read it in passing without giving pause to it's overwhelming message.  This being the day before Easter Sunday, I want us to stop and really listen to what God is saying. 

2 Corinthians 5:21 is crazy Truth - "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Read that a couple of times and let it sink in.  It ought to give us chills.

A line in Chris Tomlin's song, "Here I Am to Worship", says, "I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that Cross."  He's right.  We could never comprehend what it cost the Creator of the universe or His only son to bear the consequences of our sin.  Isaiah said it best, (Is. 64:6), "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags."  Yep, that pretty much sums us up. 

From the Pope to the hooker on Bourbon Street, we're all destitute!  From Mother Teresa to Lady GaGa, we are all depraved and in desperate need of a Savior.  Even the Apostle Paul, who labored tirelessly and suffered greatly for the gospel, realized his greatest efforts to please God were no more than rubbish compared to the righteousness of Christ.

See Philippians 3:7-8, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

We've got to stop and really think about this.  The impact of the resurrection has got to go beyond our head and sink deeply into our heart.  Jesus experienced the wrath of God, which is more painful to endure than anything we will ever experience EVER.  Oh that we would walk not in guilt of this glorious gift but in life.  May we live in the freedom of Christ! May we show our gratitude through obedience, humility and service for this righeousness that we have recieved so undeservingly.

Do you have ears to hear God's message to you this weekend? It's a foreign concept for an innocent man to give his life for a guilty one but that's exactly what He did. No matter what country you are from, no matter what language you speak, ask God to help you truly hear and receive the crazy truth of His limitless love. Happy Easter.

He Goes Before You

There are those we are familiar with in history who have faced great obstacles.  They overcame fear.  They marched forward with courage and left a legacy of bravery and hope.  Moses crossing the Red Sea with the Egyptians on his tail.  Abraham Lincoln abolishing slavery and facing a nation at war with itself.  John Glenn flying into space attempting to be the first man to walk on the moon.  Moms with daughters trying out for cheerleader. 

Okay, if you've ever had a child tryout for something then you agree that last sentence deserves to be included.  I'm not sure facing cheer tryouts is any less stressful than leading a nation to freedom or flying into outer space.  I'll bet there are some of you moms out there that could argue the week of cheer clinics and tryouts has a lot of similarities to a civil war.

This morning I sit on my back patio, relaxed and enjoying praise music and hot coffee, while some of my dearest friends are popping TUMS and praying their guts out while their daughters are at tryouts.  Mary Cate and I were in that boat this time last year and I've got the scars to prove it. 

As the Lord would have it, my devotional this morning was on Mark 14:28, Jesus said, "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Jesus was trying to prepare his disciples for his crucifixion and resurrection.  He knew they would be scattered, terrified and confused upon his arrest and death.  He was telling them not to let their eyes fool them.  While they would see him die, that wasn't the end.  They would also see him live again.

Even though Jesus faced terrible torture and death, he was still concerned about his boys.  To comfort and encourage them, he said, "I'll meet you on the other side.  You are going to face fear and uncertainty but I'm going ahead of you.  I'll be there."  Is Jesus cool or what?!

God never sends you into a situation alone.  Just like He went before the Israelites with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, so He goes before you.  God is never caught off guard by a situation that you face.  He's already there preparing the way.  He knows exactly what you need. 

Psalm 139:7-10 speaks the truth, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths,a you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

Whatever you face today, know that Jesus is already there, in that moment.  He is present with you.  He is fully aware of what you are facing and what you need.  Whether you are facing angry Egyptians or a panel of cheer judges, rest assured God is with you.  He will never leave you.  (Just remember to point your toes and smile!)