Tuesday, June 23, 2009

I don't belong here

2 Samuel 9 paints a beautiful picture. It is mentioned more than once that Mephibosheth is crippled in both feet after being dropped as a young boy. I imagine that did not place him very high in social settings. Even though he wasn't worthy (by cultural standards) of sitting at the king's table, the king brought him in anyway.

Carried to the Table
Leeland Mooring

Wounded and forsaken
I was shattered by the fall
Broken and forgotten
Feeling lost and all alone
Summoned by the King
Into the Master’s courts
Lifted by the Savior
And cradled in His arms

I was carried to the table
Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table
Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table
The table of the Lord

Fighting thoughts of fear
And wondering why He called my name
Am I good enough to share this cup
This world has left me lame
Even in my weakness
The Savior called my name
In His Holy presence
I’m healed and unashamed

You carried me, my God
You carried me

Oh how I long to dine at the King's table, if only to be in His presence. I don't belong there. This sinful, broken, rejected woman doesn't deserve to even sit outside the city gates. Yet, he invites me. He welcomes me. He doesn't see all of the things that make me feel unworthy of being there. He sees what he created me for. He sees his purposed for me and the potential he has placed in me to accomplish it. He sees me though the blood of his Son.

And in His presence, all of my imperfections are erased. In His presence I no longer am aware of myself. I am only aware Him and His unexplainable, unending, unconditional love for me. And all is well.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

More than I can Handle

"Don't worry. God won't give you more than you can handle."
I hear that a lot. It's a great sentiment. It's comforting. It's soothing. It's reassuring. And it's wrong.

Most people use 1 Corinthians 10:13 to support this thinking. If you read it carefully, you will see that this verse is talking about temptation, not trials.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
I believe God lets more come at us than we can handle on our own. If he didn't would we really need him? Would we learn to depend on him if we were capable in our own power? I'm thinking Goliath was more than David could handle. Pharaoh was more that Moses wanted to handle, not to mention leading an entire nation through the desert. Not sure Joshua could have taken on Jericho with divine intervention. Gideon and his mighty army of 300 men probably thought taking on the Midianites was a crazy idea. Job lost everything - seems like too much to me. And Mary? Let's just say being responsible for God's only Son could be a huge source of anxiety and seem like a ridiculous task. The storm was way too much for the disciples to handle - good thing God was with them. Don't get me started on Paul; he faced way more than any man could handle.

Each of these people had 2 things in common: An impossible task and confidence in God's promises. So it should be with us. We are not alone. We don't have to face anything alone. God promised, and we should trust in those promises.

So, when you are tempted, look for a way out - it's there - and if all else fails, do what Joseph did and RUN! When your giant looks huge, the army too vast, the task too heavy, the fight impossible, the pain unbearble, remember nothing is impossible with our God. He is with you and the battle belongs to Him.

Monday, June 8, 2009

In the Right Place

I had this whole post all figured out until I started to do a little research. Did you know there's no such thing as a seagull? I didn't. I've always called those annoying birds in parking lots seagulls, but that's just some kind of nickname. Regardless of their true name (you can look here if you are really interested), I don't like them. They make a mess of parking lots, they don't get out of the way, and why aren't they at the lake anyway? Aren't they supposed to be diving for fish in the sea or something? No wait, they aren't seagulls. Maybe they are parkinglotgulls. Have I mentioned I don't like them?

Something changed in my opinion of these creatures this past weekend. I took a half day off work, got in my car, and drove. I went west and stopped right before I hit the water. It was a nice, sunny day, a bit cool with a breeze. I walked out on a pier and there they were - those crazy gulls. Flying out over the water... and it was beautiful! I sat and watched them for a long time.

There's something about seeing them do what they were created to do in the place they were intended to do it. I don't know, maybe it was the long drive or the anticipation of the sunset, but it really was a beautiful sight.

I wonder, how many of us are hanging out in parking lots when we should be soaring out over the water. Are you in the place God wants you, or are you in the place where you are comfortable and safe? Are you doing what you've always known or are you stepping out in faith to let God use you to do something only He can accomplish? Is it obvious to those around that you where you in the right place, or do you look like a seagull in a parking lot?