September 13, 2010

The Quest...Join me!

Though this is Monday's post, I wanted to repost it today, over here, as Ann has asked us to share how we are caring for the least of these on her Walk with Him Wednesday

Click the graphic or the bold words and slip over to see how other's, too, are caring for the least of these...






holy experience


My story, as with all our stories, is one of being changed from the inside out in order to give away Jesus to the least of these, far and near. 

I've been pondering Ann's journey to Guatemala last week-- the beautiful faces, the desire to reach others for Christ, and the passion with which she writes.
The desire is building in me to go...

somewhere, anywhere...
and there will come a day, I am sure, when I leave these four walls and venture far from here...

But for me, this season of going is to the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom and every other room in this home, praying as I serve my family-asking God along the way to touch those He puts on my heart that are far off from Him or far away from me.

Yet lately, though, I've been convicted that my desire to really know and understand God and humbly give Him away outside this house has been no less than just plain old laziness.   Questions like: 'Who is God?' and 'What is God like?' tend to make me uncomfortable and squirmy to give a pat answer when in reality there is no reason to think or react in those kinds of ways. He tells me who He is. He sent Jesus to show me what He's like. (I love Jesus, read about Him almost daily, but then why don't I understand God?)

The problem, for me, at least, has been that I haven't taken the time to study and exercise my mind to think along those lines...to dive head first into a spiritual quest and search Him out.


"...The only way to recoup our spiritual losses is to go back to the cause of them and make such corrections as the truth warrants.  The decline of the knowledge of the holy has brought on our troubles.  A rediscovery of the majesty of God will go a long way toward curing them.  It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate.  If we would bring back spiritual power to our lives, we must begin to think of God more nearly as He is."  A. W. Tozer



Yet, perhaps as Tozer declares, I need to go back, correct erroneous beliefs about God, discover Him as majestic God, and think of Him more nearly as He really is.






To that end, I picked up A.W. Tozer's little book, "The Knowledge of the Holy" and two Saturday's ago, sat in my Garden of Eden and read for over two hours, out loud, words penned by a man who has walked with His God and exercised his mind with His thoughts. 




As a result, I have been chasing after God and spoken to Him with words never uttered from my lips before.  Words like 'The All-sufficient God that has no need of anything.' 
I've never given thought to Him being in no need of Anything...although I may have thought I believed that, I doubt it, because my actions show that I believed He needed my help in order to see things change, or help Him finish what He began in me!  



As Tozer states:
'Our common habits of thought allow for the existence of need among created things.  Nothing is complete in itself but requires something outside itself in order to exist.  All breathing things need air; every organism needs food and water.  Take air and water from the earth and all life would perish instantly.  It may be stated as an axiom that to stay alive every created thing needs some other created thing and all things need God.  To God alone nothing is necessary.'*
...My common habits of thought...
He is not what I perceive Him to be as long as I view Him other than  The true God, who alone has no need of anything.
Yet, He is changing my thought habits.  As my thirst for Him is only quenched in His presence, He is meeting me there. 
I've been crying out to Him to direct me as I educate these energetic boys, love and honor my husband, accept, enjoy, care for, and serve my parents.
 He is working in me from the inside out...  stetching, redirecting, washing, gently reminding me, stengthening me, stirring me to fight the fight of faith, giving me His Word:

  Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle; My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer; My shield and He in whom I take refuge; Who subdues my people under me. Psalm 144:1-2

 This change-this place of coming to the end of my ideas about God to the reality of Knowing Him,
'satisfied to turn from my limitations to a God who has none.  Eternal years lie in His heart. For Him time does not pass, it remains; and those who are in Christ share with Him all the riches of limitless time and endless years.  God never hurries.  There are no deadlines against which He must work.  Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.  For those out of Christ, time is a devouring beast;  before the sons of the new creation time crouches and purrs and licks their hands. The foe of the old human race becomes the friend of the new, and the stars in their courses fight for the man God delights to honor.  This we may learn from the divine infinitude.'

Oh, that I, Your beloved, cherished and eternally redeemed, would hunger and chase after You, God, until those around me see Jesus and are drawn to Him.
 Thank you for changing me.  Wreck my thoughts until I only have Yours. 
You, gentle Spirit inside me, have Your way today and tomorrow and these days that are just a breath. 
Amen.

2 comments:

BLOOMING PARIS said...

This is a beautiful post, hun! Thank you for sharing! hugs, Jenn

Jenny said...

I see you beautiful, blessed life in your pictures. Thank you for capturing what you love and then sharing.

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