It’s been an interesting season for me – spiritually, emotionally, relationally… interesting.
I’ve taken a step back from a lot in efforts to stabilize a bit, and while I’m still not exactly sure what God’s teaching me, what I’ve sunk significantly deeper into is something that’s available to all believers: God’s truth – His Word, His promises and His character.
Life can be tough. For everyone, for every reason. But what’s so different from traditional “religions” and knowing Christ is relationship. Religion tells you to press on, to keep doing what’s right, to keep striving. The pressure is on you. But life in Christ is a release. It’s a surrendering of pressure and performance, giving it to Him in exchange for the completed work of the cross. It’s intimacy in leaning into the hard and complicated. It’s asking questions and waiting for answers. It’s trusting what’s been said and believing for what’s to come. And it’s a foreshadowing of the perfect communion between the Creator and the created that will last for all eternity.
And yet… I think the circumstances of life and the weight of emotions can confuse us sometimes. I think they can make us question the things that God has said or that we’ve learned to be true. And that can be a really tough spot.
But praise God that he is relational. Praise God that we can bring all our junk, all our questions, all our emotions to him.
During worship at church one morning, I was frustrated and distracted. But as I poured it out before the Lord, something clicked:
You should never have picked me for anything. You know the depths of my sin. You knew this would happen. I have no place being here.
This is your fault. You shouldn’t have picked me.
Except you did.
So now you have to do it. You have to restore things, because you said you would work everything for good. You have to remain available to me, because you said you would never leave. You didn’t have to declare any of this, God. But you did. You chose to make the promises. You chose to walk alone through the pieces with Abraham. So you have to do it. You have to keep your promises because you said you would, and you said your word would never fail. You said it.
We were created by a God who knows us and wants to be known by us. He chose to reveal himself. He chose to reveal his name, he chose to reveal his character. And he chose to make himself available to us again by way of his son.
I’m not sure God actually needed my reminder that morning of what he’s promised. But I sure did. I continually need the reminder, and I don’t think I’m alone.
In the next couple weeks, I have a handful of shorter posts highlighting a few things God has declared true, in addition to a longer, complete summary of the Gospel of Jesus, using only Scripture, compiled by one of my closest and wisest friends. These upcoming posts may not be filled with tons of new information, but rather the intention is to empathize with those struggling, to encourage, and to collectively confess and declare promises of God. That together we might worship and exalt the name of Jesus. That we might celebrate and delight in the greatest gift ever given.
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.
God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
– Psalm 67
Soaking in the Son 