“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere…” Psalms 84:10
God has blessed me so much in the preparation for our upcoming sermon series, Fireproof Your Marriage. One of the ways that God is blessing me is through the book The Love Dare. It is a book written by the makers of the movie Fireproof. The Love Dare is a 40 day challenge to strengthen your marriage and teach you God’s kind of love.
As you know I am married to the greatest woman in the world. She is a blessing in my life in every way. We have always had an incredible bond and strength in our marriage. Yet even as much as you hate to admit it, it is really easy to get caught up in the stress of life and business of working, school, or raising kids, and forget to do those little things that tell your spouse you love them.
During the past week I have added The Love Dare to my daily devotional and have taken each challenge very seriously. Through that, God has really blessed me spiritually, blessed my feelings for Layney, and in the words of Emeril Lagasse, “Kicked it up a notch, BAM.”
It is incredible to be in the courts of God where he is working actively in your life. Just like marriage it is very easy for us to get caught up in the stresses of life and forget the little things that really bring us close to God.
God is moving in this community and in our church. It is time to “Kick it up a notch” in your relationship with God. Are you reading scripture and praying daily? If not it is time to start. If so, are your just going through the motions? It is time to start taking God seriously and knowing for a fact that he is moving in your life.
I challenge you to freshen your relationship with God much like you could a marriage. Tell him the great things he has done for you and what his great qualities are. Study him and get to know him. Spend time with him in prayer. Most of all ask him to move in you, ask him to make a change in your life, and know that he will.
Better is one day in his courts, where we can allow him to work and move in our lives. There is no better place to be. Are you in God’s Courts?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Healthy Grief
His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!"
He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." 2 Samuel 12:21-23
I am an observer by nature, especially of people, their behavior, development, or their responses in certain situations. I just love to observe people being people. Some of you know that Mom passed September 1, 2008 after a 2 year battle with cancer. I come from a family that has a very healthy view of grief and loss. Well, at least most of us do. During the weeks following her death I observed many people who responded to grief in many different ways. These observations have inspired me to take a brief look at what healthy grief should look like.
There is a time for grieving, a time to cry, and a time for sadness. However, in our culture we often protect ourselves from grief in a way that we don’t understand the way it actually works. I remember the first funeral that I attended as an adolescent who was old enough to observe and analyze what was happening around me. I remember sitting at the table at the reception meal after the funeral service and wondering how could people be laughing. Everyone was sharing stories of our friend and the funny things he had done.
Some how for some reason I just didn’t think that should be ok. “Did they not care about him?” Of course they cared about him. They cared very much. But we have so many emotions and in healthy grief they will come and go in waves. When you are facing grief in your life remember to allow yourself to feel your emotions honestly. It is possible to really love someone you lose and still laugh when you remember them. It is possible to really love someone you lose and still carry on with your life after they are gone.
When grieving you should also be aware of when it is time to get up and get moving again. Sometimes when you experience a great loss the best thing to do for healing is to keep busy. Anyone who spends their time dwelling on sorrow and loss will wind up depressed. It is far better to honor the memory of your loved one by continuing to live a full and rich life, and continuing to make a difference in your world.
Take a moment to read the story of David and his child with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba. It is found in 2 Samuel Chapter 12. We see in this man a healthy view of grief.
King David’s son was struck sick and David grieved him greatly, David would not eat, he mourned and pleaded with God to spare the child however when the child died he got up took a bath and went to eat.
When we face suffering and especially loss we have to remember that God is in control of our lives. We are to take comfort in the knowledge of God and find his strength to carry on. Are you facing grief at this time? Is it time for you to “get up and eat?”
I will go to him but he will not return to me.
I heard a compelling description of heaven recently. It depicted our loved ones and people who had been influential in our lives greeting us and welcoming us home. I am comforted by the thought that we have not lost the ones we love. We are just taking a short leave of absence from their presence. The long life we live here on earth is less than a drop in the bucket to the time we will have in eternity.
King David was not ashamed to express his emotions, he knew when it was time to get back to his responsibilities, and he knew that God was in control of his life and his eternity. He had a healthy view of grief.
He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." 2 Samuel 12:21-23
I am an observer by nature, especially of people, their behavior, development, or their responses in certain situations. I just love to observe people being people. Some of you know that Mom passed September 1, 2008 after a 2 year battle with cancer. I come from a family that has a very healthy view of grief and loss. Well, at least most of us do. During the weeks following her death I observed many people who responded to grief in many different ways. These observations have inspired me to take a brief look at what healthy grief should look like.
There is a time for grieving, a time to cry, and a time for sadness. However, in our culture we often protect ourselves from grief in a way that we don’t understand the way it actually works. I remember the first funeral that I attended as an adolescent who was old enough to observe and analyze what was happening around me. I remember sitting at the table at the reception meal after the funeral service and wondering how could people be laughing. Everyone was sharing stories of our friend and the funny things he had done.
Some how for some reason I just didn’t think that should be ok. “Did they not care about him?” Of course they cared about him. They cared very much. But we have so many emotions and in healthy grief they will come and go in waves. When you are facing grief in your life remember to allow yourself to feel your emotions honestly. It is possible to really love someone you lose and still laugh when you remember them. It is possible to really love someone you lose and still carry on with your life after they are gone.
When grieving you should also be aware of when it is time to get up and get moving again. Sometimes when you experience a great loss the best thing to do for healing is to keep busy. Anyone who spends their time dwelling on sorrow and loss will wind up depressed. It is far better to honor the memory of your loved one by continuing to live a full and rich life, and continuing to make a difference in your world.
Take a moment to read the story of David and his child with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba. It is found in 2 Samuel Chapter 12. We see in this man a healthy view of grief.
King David’s son was struck sick and David grieved him greatly, David would not eat, he mourned and pleaded with God to spare the child however when the child died he got up took a bath and went to eat.
When we face suffering and especially loss we have to remember that God is in control of our lives. We are to take comfort in the knowledge of God and find his strength to carry on. Are you facing grief at this time? Is it time for you to “get up and eat?”
I will go to him but he will not return to me.
I heard a compelling description of heaven recently. It depicted our loved ones and people who had been influential in our lives greeting us and welcoming us home. I am comforted by the thought that we have not lost the ones we love. We are just taking a short leave of absence from their presence. The long life we live here on earth is less than a drop in the bucket to the time we will have in eternity.
King David was not ashamed to express his emotions, he knew when it was time to get back to his responsibilities, and he knew that God was in control of his life and his eternity. He had a healthy view of grief.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)