wait on Him... Hosea 12:6...

"So you, by the help of your God, return,

hold fast to love and justice,

and wait continually for your God."

Hosea 12:6 ESV

The prophet Hosea... gave a word from God... to Jacob...

Jacob... who in the womb... took his elder brother's heel... vied for a position of authority...

Jacob... who strove with God... whose name was changed to Israel... God-wrestler...

Jacob... who prevailed over the angel... then wept... and sought a blessing...

A message not only for rebellious Jacob... Israel...

but for all His people...

Only with God's help... can we return... repent...

He alone turns our hearts toward Him... 

blesses us with conviction... 

and faith to receive...

We cannot clean ourselves up... and come to God in presentable fashion...

we need His help... His strength... to limp our way back to Him...

On our returning... repentance...

we hold fast... keep... give heed... to love and justice...

compassion and mercy...

and wait continually... eagerly... for God...

to save...

to bless...

to restore...

A heart of hopeful waiting...

depends on Him...

to help us return...

By His help we return...

to love... justice... hope...

remake... vs... repent...

The revelation fleshed out this morning... when I heard of a man leaving his family... moved out of state... which brought to mind a woman... who recently divorced her husband...

Over and over... when things go bad...
we make moves... to remake our lives...

When broken people... try to remake their lives...
they leave a trail of brokenness behind...

The major problem we have... when we try to remake...
is that we lug around our own brokenness with us...

In the words of Andy Stanley...
Everywhere you go... there you are...
and in the end... what you tried to remake...
turns into... the same old brokenness...

This is very different than what God calls us to do...
He calls us to repent...
which literally means to turn around...
make a u-turn... go back... do things differently...

When we choose to remake our lives...
we continue on the same path... same direction...
just different scenery and relationships...

God... He says...

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...

Acts 3:19-20 ESV

Turn back from your way of doing things...

and begin doing things His way...

With His Way... there are blessings...

forgiveness...

refreshment...

redemption...

But our way... our own version of remaking...

leads to death...

destruction...

despair...

Only through repentance...

can we truly be redeemed...

restored... 

remade...

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away; behold the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

How many times have you tried to remake yourself... only to end up the same... or worse... than before...?

Give up the remaking... 

turn to repentance...

Stop thinking up your own way...

come into agreement with Him...

do things His Way...

experience true redemption... 

true restoration...

right where you are...

Amen...

challenged...

I find myself challenged...
by the One who calls things that are not...
as though they were...

...the God who gives life to the dead

and calls things that are not as though they were.

Romans 4:17

Challenged... to do the same...

Challenged to see... in others... in me...

what He sees...

when it's all said and done...

when it's all restored...

He sees the beginning from the end...

that's how He can call things that are not...

as though they were...

That's how He called... Simon... Peter... a rock...

Simon... fully restored... is a solid rock... therefore He calls Him Peter...

even though he stepped out of the boat... and sank...

when He asked him to pray in the garden... he slept...

followed Jesus... but denied knowing Him... not once... but three times...

He sees... what is... or will be... when it's done...

He names it... calls it... now...

The challenge for me...

to see restored...

hear... what He calls... me... loved ones... difficult ones...

so I can name them too...

speak that truth... into their lives...

help them to see...

and believe...

with... peace...

knowing...

He cannot lie...

Challenged to speak truth... in love...

Challenged to see... what He sees...

Challenged to name... as He names...

...speaking the truth in love,

we are to grow up in every way 

into him who is the head, into Christ...

Ephesians 4:15 ESV

Father God... teach me to see like You... all things restored...

Open my ears to hear... what You call what...

Bless me with trust and peace...

that what You see... will be...

restored...

He is fresh...

Fresh...

When the word came to mind... as an attribute of praise... I wondered... Is it true...? Are You fresh...?

Going straight to Webster's... I found the definition...

fresh... adjective... 1 a: having its original qualities unimpaired: as (1): full of or renewed in vigor... (2): not stale, sour, or decayed... (3): not faded... (4): not worn or rumpled... b: not altered by processing... 2 ... b (1): free from taint: pure

Yes... I had to agree... He fits the definition of fresh... but to find a Word reflecting this truth... I began to search...

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

His steadfast... unfailing... love... never ceases... it is always fresh... having its original qualities unimpaired... not stale, sour, or decayed... not faded... not worn or rumpled... not altered by processing... pure...

His mercies...? Fresh as the beginning of each new day... having its original qualities unimpaired... not stale, sour, decayed... not faded... not worn or rumpled... not altered... free from taint...

This idea of God always fresh... begins to sink in... an attribute I need to remember... take hold of... as I begin to feel worn... rumpled... with all that has me out of sorts...

Fresh... brings to mind words like... crisp... clean...

When one is fresh... they are ready to face anything...! never out of sorts...

My God is fresh... never worn or weary... always ready with fresh love... wisdom... mercy... grace... compassion... energy... never at His wits end...

And His Word...? Fresh as the day it was spoken... eternal in its nature... timeless... it does not need be altered to face this day...

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you will remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,

but you are the same, and your years have no end.

Psalm 102:25-27 ESV

The Creator... He is as fresh as the day of creation... while His creation wears... and tears... at the effects of sin...

His holiness... pure... untainted... keeps Him fresh... unimpaired... full of vigor... not stale, sour, decayed... not faded, worn or rumpled... not altered by processing...

Waiting on Him... has just become easier... with this picture of Him... as fresh...

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

I praise You Lord as fresh... in all Your attributes...

fresh to take on whatever comes...

ready to offer fresh mercy... grace... compassion...

and love... ready to re-fresh... those who are weary...

ready with Your Word... with fresh wisdom...

and understanding... Lord... You are fresh...

What about you...? Where do you need to see Him as fresh in your life...?

clean hearts... they are created...

Psalm 51:10-17 NLT

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.

Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Create... in me... a clean heart... O God...

create... it's what the Creator does... and it's by His work... of creation... that we receive a clean heart... in place of the old...

The Creator... He created man... from the dust... the dirt... of the earth...

He will not reject... a broken heart... because that is where He gets the dirt... to create the clean... pure... heart...

Our hearts... far from clean... Sin... dirtying up... hardening... our hearts... to the point of... breaking...

A breaking that happens... when the realization sinks in... I cannot clean up my heart... He must create it anew...

In the brokenness... of repentance... He sees... the raw material... to create... something new... clean... and good...

Only He... through His Son... by His Spirit... takes the mess we've made... and creates... the clean...

Thank You, Lord... for taking the pieces of my broken heart... and creating one that is clean... You will not despise... a broken... repentant... heart... 

choices

We make them... everyday...

Choices that affect our lives... and relationships...

I dreamed last night... about a friend... one that chose to break relationship... just stopped writing back... stopped answering calls... without reason... without explanation...

She had made choices... even though she didn't tell me what they were... I heard... through another... the choices she made... sin-full choices... that led to her choice to break relationship...

I never understood her choice to break with me...
Did she think I would reject... so she did first... to save pain...?
Did she think I would try to save...?
Did she think I wouldn't understand...?

I loved her... still do... my heart still breaks over the broken relationship...

Does she not know this love...?

Above all, love each other deeply,

because love covers a multitude of sins.

1Peter 4:8

Does she not love deeply...?

Does she reject... rather than cover...?

I've made choices too... sin-full ones... ones that merit rejection... ones I've hidden... for years... fearing rejection...

Over the last few years... God has led me to reveal... confess... sin to loved ones... ones I feared being rejected by... literal gut-wrenching fear... but with each confession... I found deep love... the kind that covers a multitude of sins...

A love I long to share with others... a love that brings freedom... a love I want to pour out like grace... to bring healing... to my friend who rejected me... because of her choices... to another who did the same...

It's risky to seek forgiveness... it involves exposing oneself... humiliating oneself... admitting sin... pride prevents... fear paralyzes... but love is at stake... freedom... and grace...

In Christ there is no condemnation...

Lord... thank You... for the unmerited grace and love you have poured into my life... use me to pour it into the lives of others... that they might know... Your love...

 

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clearing the way for restoration

Today... the Friday called good... marked by the cross...

Jesus... the Word made flesh... the Word that spoke creation... doing the hard work... trusting... obeying... humbling Himself... to the point of death on a cross...

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

(emphasis mine)

Jesus... out of love... chose to die for our sin... He died for me... you... everyone... paying the ultimate price for restoration...

He cleared the way for forgiveness... He restored freedom... saved us from God's wrath... Jesus did the hard work... to make way for complete restoration...

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Psalm 126:3

Am I... filled with joy...?

This filling often eludes me... sowing... in the hard-soul ground... takes its toll... Forgetting the good done this Friday... reveals the uncultivated ground... a poor planting of thanks... seeds of belief sparsely sown...

But praise God... our gracious... gracious... grace-full Lord... understands... forgives... and promises joy...

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with him.

Psalm 126:5-6

Lord Jesus... thank You... thank You... thank You... for clearing the way... doing the hard work... understanding... As I sow in tears... waiting for joy... I choose to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving...

the work behind restoration

This week... facing my own restoration of sorts with its frustrations... I asked God for a word... one to sustain... guide... He said...

Sow for yourselves righteousness;

reap steadfast love;

break up your fallow ground,

for it is time to seek the Lord,

that he may come

and rain righteousness upon you.

Hosea 10:12

ESV

A Word from God almost always spurs me on a journey through Scripture... my own spin on lectio divina... a word... or phrase... captures my attention... sparks a memory... bridges a connection to another Word...

The word... righteousness...

Sow for yourselves righteousness...

The connection... Abraham... the one credited with righteousness... not because of his works... but because he believed... he trusted God's promise...

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness...

Romans 4:5

ESV

(emphasis mine)

Planting... belief... trust... faith... this is righteousness... believing in God's promise... trusting in the work of restoration... through the pain... the mess... the delay...

Sow for yourselves righteousness...

A specific place to plant... in your fallow ground... another says... your unplowed ground... hard ground... uncultivated... a place that needs to be broken...

...break up your fallow... unplowed... ground...

Plant belief in a new place... a place previously unplanted with faith... a place hard from the effects of the world and sin...

Restoration requires a breaking up... or down... a tearing away of the old... the corrupted... to make new... In a spiritual restoration... unbelief... doubt... must be broken up...

Paul's word to the Romans included this about Abraham...

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."

Romans 4:20-22

ESV

Abraham did the hard work of breaking up his unbelief... his fallow ground... where previously there was no faith... he wrestled with self... his flesh... his understanding... broke it... crucified it... that he might believe...

This planting of hard soul ground... planting faith... leads to a harvest of steadfast love...

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

We reap the love of the Father in faith... breaking up unbelief... sowing trust... here in the previously hard places... we can reap... experience... God's steadfast love... Always present... but impossible to receive... harvest... without faith... belief... trust... righteousness...

...seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

Doing the work... of not working... instead believing... trusting... seeking God in faith... leads to increased faith... the grace of God raining down...

What an amazing way to not work... the hard work of breaking up unbelief... allowing God in new areas of your life... a continual cycle of restoration... until we are completely free of the hard... fallow... ground...

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:3-5

ESV

The Word... the work... needed to find rest... in the process of restoration...

Sow for yourselves righteousness...

finding rest... in restoration...

The process of restoration... leaves me feeling... restless... the pain... the mess... the delays... tempt me to abandon...

But look...  rest... found at the forefront of.... restoration...

To rest... according to Webster's... is to cease from action or motion: refrain from labor or exertion... to be free from anxiety or disturbance... to sit or lie fixed or supported... to remain confident: trust...

Rest requires trust...

No one sits in a chair... to rest... if they do not trust it to hold their weight... Do you lie down in bed... if you believe it will collapse to the floor...?

Who do you trust... for the restoration of... souls... selves... relationships...?

God alone is trustworthy... in the emotional... spiritual... physical... restoration of lives...

He who was seated on the throne said,

"I am making everything new!"

Then he said, "Write this down,

 for these words are trustworthy and true."

Revelation 21:5

(emphasis mine)

Consider... today... do you trust God...?