The Great Thoughts Become a String of Pearls

This week I have taken the chapter on Great Thoughts (Chip Ingram's Good to Great in God's Eyes) to heart. Or, rather, to mind. No -- to heart, for when we dwell on these thoughts, they needle into our counsciousness and become part of our character, like a speck of sand in an oyster.

Very often the Great Thoughts that twirl around my mind like a beautiful ballerina are inspired by a song. I love listening to KLove, which is a Chrisitan music radio station that plays around the country (and I shamelessly and without reservation encourage you to find the station in your area where they broadcast). The lyrics of these songs resonate with my soul.

Spoken For by MercyMe is no exception.

I don't know the rules of linking from a blog to another website, and I don't want to plagerize or anything, so I won't link but simply quote the lyrics as I would a line from a book. There are two images that come to my mind as I listen to the chorus:

Covered by your love devine
Child of the Risen Lord,
To hear you say, "This one's mine."
My heart is spoken for

"This one's mine" brings to mind a Western on a grand and epic scale. The back story involves a homesteader whose wife and child are killed by a thief. After burying his family, he goes after the man who killed them. Meanwhile, that thief has joined a gang that is worse than he has ever imagined, and though he wants out, he is stuck, tethered to their leader by fear and despiration, and the evil they perpetrate is much worse than simple thievery and accidental killing. Soon a posse is after them. The homesteader joins the posse for one purpose only -- to be there when they finally catch up with the gang. When they do, and the posse is preparing to hang them all from the nearest tree, the homesteader says, "This one's mine." He takes the thief and rides away. Fade to black.

As they approach the homestead, the man leading the thief's horse because the thief's hands are tied, he says, "I forgive you. You can stay here and work for me, be the son to whom I will leave everything, or you can high-tail it for Mexico. Your choice."

I am afraid my words don't convey the full feeling of what my mind has envisioned this week. "This one's mine -- hands off -- I'll deal out her punishment." And then God turns around and forgives. And gives us the opportunity to be heirs, part of the family. To hear you say, "This one's mine." My breath catches in my throat, knowing the punishment I deserve is one breath away, and then being offered full forgiveness in the next instant brings utter relief.

That leads to the next thought.

Covered by your love devine
Child of the Risen Lord,
To hear you say, "This one's mine."
My heart is spoken for

Spoken for. I am the beautiful belle of the ball, more beautiful than Cinderella could ever hope to be. A nice looking gentleman approaches, "May I have this dance?"

"I am honored, sir. But no, thank you. I am spoken for."

For now.

And for all eternity.

Spoken for.

These are the thoughts swirling through my mind this week. These thoughts provide me with such security and joy that they become another pearl on my string. The string of pearls that my Daddy gives me to let me know I am loved. I am chosen. I am spoken for.

"The Actions of men are the best indicators of thought.'

That is a quote from John Locke that Chip Ingram uses to open the chapter in Good to Great in God's Eyes entitled "Think Great Thoughts."

Later in the chapter, Ingram writes, "The thoughts we entertain in our minds become the thoughts that guide our lives."

I know this is true. Having spent several years in addiction, I can say that what I thought about -- always, always desiring that next "fix"-- is what led me to seek that next fix. Not just the random thought that pops into my head -- I can't help those. But the "entertaining" of thoughts, the dwelling on, the mulling over and over, like sucking on a cough drop to get all the sweet medicine out of it and immediately reaching for another when my throat becomes scratchy again -- that is what leads to the wrong behavior.  My behavior is in direct coorolation to my thought life.

So when I whine about my complacency (as I did in my last post), the solution is obvious: think about the object of my affection that seems to only produce complacency in me. As I think about and learn about and read about and pray to God, my complacency leaves me. It does not dissolve away but rather runs, full tilt, leaving behind it the full-fleded desire to spend even more time in God's presence.


Philippians 4: 8 - 9


 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Good to Great IN GOD'S EYES

"In God's Eyes" ~~ What does God see when He looks at me? Does He see the complacency that poisons the well-spring of my heart? Does He see the impure thoughts? Does He see my self-centeredness, where the most-oft asked question is "How will this affect me?"

The answer is: yes, He does.

But praise the Lord! That's not all He sees!

He also sees the righteousness of Christ, as I stand behind the Son, bathed in His blood. He sees a daughter, a co-heir, one who will inherit His infinite riches in glory. He sees one who has been bought back -- at a great price -- and therefore is so very valuable!

As I read through Chip Ingram's book, I have a quotation on a plain piece of paper as my marker. It is a quote by John Wooden:

"Be  more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

Seeking to be more...

In God's eyes.

Again

Once again I have allowed complacency to rule my life. I never thought of myself as someone who takes the easy way, but my actions regarding sin prove time and again that I absolutely do.

I was reminded last night, the gentle prodding of the Spirit, that walking with God is not a passive activity but an active one.

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

He has shown you, O Man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

God wants me to actively pursue him.

And isn't that what He did when He sent Jesus to die for my sin? He crossed the chasm and ran after me.

And He is still running.

help

Can't figure out how to comment on people's comments.

Worthless Things

At this time of year, everyone is talking about the real meaning of the season and striving to live with a generous and unselfish and serving heart. The chapel speaker at school this week spoke on this very topic and used an acrostic for SERVE:

S: Single-minded Loyalty -- to be loyal to God with single-mindedness. Without such singlemindedness we become our own focus.

E: Extensive Devotion -- again, devotion to God, a devotion that overshadows all else.

R: Right Spirit -- confession is good for the soul, they say; confession allows us to reclaim the intimacy with God that allows to have the freedom to love others more than we love ourselves.

V: Victorious Life -- no more barely making it, spiritually and emotionally and physically. Christ came to give us life and life abundantly. When we live this kind of life, He overflows from up like water from a brimming cup.

E: Exalting Purpose -- My purpose is to love God and serve Him forever. I can serve Him in many ways, including serving the downtrodden around me. And the downtrodden take many forms: the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, Zaccheas, the man born blind, and the paralytic, to name a few.

So today's Psalm 119 verse is vs. 37: Turn my eyes from worthless things.

Turn my eyes to what is important. Your ways, your people, your creation.

I am a Stranger

Psalm 119: 19
I am a stranger on earth;
       do not hide your commandments from me.

I am a stranger in NYC. Don't like the city. Try to avoid it. But when I am there, I need directions. I need street signs and subway signs and the helpfulness of strangers.

That is the way it is on earth, for God's believers. We need directions, road signs, and helpful friends. Most of these come in the form of God's Word. His commandments and the life principles that can be found in His Word are the necessary tools for navigating this world, its pitfalls, and my own sinful nature.

Thankfully, God doesn't hide His commandments from me.

I just have to open my eyes to read them.

vs. 18: Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.