On trail maps, scripture, and deafening praise
I've accidentally chosen a word for the year. the WAY.
One thing I'd like for this year is to learn to listen to the Lord more. Several days ago in the potter's place I sat in a rocking chair and listened. I experienced God speaking to me tenderly. I felt led to start listening to God and asking Him questions during my prayer time and actually write those things down. When I hear him, all else fades away and gets fuzzy, blurry in the sight of his gloriousness.
___________________
It's January 1st. I am closing my eyes and listening and I ask, "What do you want for me this year?"
I want to show you my way.
I smile. Yes. For my ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts.
I open the Bible and there it is- way- in so many places I'd never realized or hadn't remembered.
"As for God his way is perfect...It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure." - 2 Sam:31,33
"Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the noonday." Psalm 37:5-6
"See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the everlasting way." -Psalm 139:24
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." -Isaiah 55:9
"I am the way..." John 14:16
___________________
I've been reading some of Ann Voskamp's blog about memorizing scripture and it's spoken loudly to me. I want more scripture. I am thirsty. I want more water. I am fighting. I need the sword.
Aaron and I are hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's a quiet, cold, cloudy day. We park and wander around. Are we at the right parking spot? We check the map. We check the trailhead signs. We check the map. We check our instincts. We decide which way to go. I fold the map up and stick it in my pocket. We walk. Is it the right way? We check the map. We look around. No, here's the sign. We hike along a gentle rolling stream. The green canopy of mountain laurel almost makes it feel like spring. We reach the waterfall and relax at the sound of roaring waters. We made it to one waterfall. We retrace our steps to try and head to another trail to find the second waterfall on our list. We are still confused so we check the map. I put it back in my pocket and we keep walking.
And there it is in my pocket. Close to me. Telling me the way. I've never been here before. But someone else has and they've made a map.
And it hits me. Scripture. A way people memorize scripture is by writing it in a card and sticking it in their pocket. There it is burning a hole straight through our pocket and into our heart. God's way written on our heart. God's perfect way guiding our steps. I've never walked these paths before, but someone has. Jesus came. He saw. He wept. He bleed. He experienced pain. He lived beauty. He spoke truth. He healed. He laughed. He conquered. He is the way.
A scene from C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle comes back to me: Aslan (the Christ-God figure) gives Jill signs for her journey in Narnia and then says,
“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”
Yes. Nothing. else. matters.
It's clear when I am sitting in silence. Clear when I read the Bible (most of the time...), and yet, when I close it and walk away and do all the other things that need to happen in my day, are His words there on my heart? There when I run into things that make me hurt, angry, envious, or sad?
__________________________
I'm sitting there in a house. A house for a church this sunday. Filled with believers. Singing. I am struck by how loud it is in the house. We are in a circle, singing loudly- to each other it seems.
This word comes to mind: deafening.
Deafening, thunderous, praise-filled singing. A shadow of the singing in heaven. It is a singing that drowns out my own thoughts, worries fear. It drowns out the lies of the devil. Here he has no hold. We can't hear him.
The piano sweetly and confidently declares joy in the name of Jesus. We are facing the piano singing with one voice. We are singing and the sunlight is streaming in the windows. And I realize that this is just a glimpse of His glory. Our time on earth is like our time in the house. We see His glory only through the windows. And one day He will fling open the doors, call out our names, and we will run wild and free home to where we belong. We will feel the heat of the sun and follow it to the end only to find there is no beginning or end. Only deafening, thunderous, praise-filled singing forever and ever.
Yes, Lord I am grateful for you grace and for your love.
You are the hand that reaches out to me.
I am set free.
I am set free.
It is for freedom that I am set free.
One thing I'd like for this year is to learn to listen to the Lord more. Several days ago in the potter's place I sat in a rocking chair and listened. I experienced God speaking to me tenderly. I felt led to start listening to God and asking Him questions during my prayer time and actually write those things down. When I hear him, all else fades away and gets fuzzy, blurry in the sight of his gloriousness.
___________________
It's January 1st. I am closing my eyes and listening and I ask, "What do you want for me this year?"
I want to show you my way.
I smile. Yes. For my ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts.
I open the Bible and there it is- way- in so many places I'd never realized or hadn't remembered.
"As for God his way is perfect...It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure." - 2 Sam:31,33
"Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the noonday." Psalm 37:5-6
"See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the everlasting way." -Psalm 139:24
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." -Isaiah 55:9
"I am the way..." John 14:16
___________________
I've been reading some of Ann Voskamp's blog about memorizing scripture and it's spoken loudly to me. I want more scripture. I am thirsty. I want more water. I am fighting. I need the sword.
Aaron and I are hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's a quiet, cold, cloudy day. We park and wander around. Are we at the right parking spot? We check the map. We check the trailhead signs. We check the map. We check our instincts. We decide which way to go. I fold the map up and stick it in my pocket. We walk. Is it the right way? We check the map. We look around. No, here's the sign. We hike along a gentle rolling stream. The green canopy of mountain laurel almost makes it feel like spring. We reach the waterfall and relax at the sound of roaring waters. We made it to one waterfall. We retrace our steps to try and head to another trail to find the second waterfall on our list. We are still confused so we check the map. I put it back in my pocket and we keep walking.
And there it is in my pocket. Close to me. Telling me the way. I've never been here before. But someone else has and they've made a map.
And it hits me. Scripture. A way people memorize scripture is by writing it in a card and sticking it in their pocket. There it is burning a hole straight through our pocket and into our heart. God's way written on our heart. God's perfect way guiding our steps. I've never walked these paths before, but someone has. Jesus came. He saw. He wept. He bleed. He experienced pain. He lived beauty. He spoke truth. He healed. He laughed. He conquered. He is the way.
A scene from C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle comes back to me: Aslan (the Christ-God figure) gives Jill signs for her journey in Narnia and then says,
“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”
Yes. Nothing. else. matters.
It's clear when I am sitting in silence. Clear when I read the Bible (most of the time...), and yet, when I close it and walk away and do all the other things that need to happen in my day, are His words there on my heart? There when I run into things that make me hurt, angry, envious, or sad?
__________________________
I'm sitting there in a house. A house for a church this sunday. Filled with believers. Singing. I am struck by how loud it is in the house. We are in a circle, singing loudly- to each other it seems.
This word comes to mind: deafening.
Deafening, thunderous, praise-filled singing. A shadow of the singing in heaven. It is a singing that drowns out my own thoughts, worries fear. It drowns out the lies of the devil. Here he has no hold. We can't hear him.
The piano sweetly and confidently declares joy in the name of Jesus. We are facing the piano singing with one voice. We are singing and the sunlight is streaming in the windows. And I realize that this is just a glimpse of His glory. Our time on earth is like our time in the house. We see His glory only through the windows. And one day He will fling open the doors, call out our names, and we will run wild and free home to where we belong. We will feel the heat of the sun and follow it to the end only to find there is no beginning or end. Only deafening, thunderous, praise-filled singing forever and ever.
Yes, Lord I am grateful for you grace and for your love.
You are the hand that reaches out to me.
I am set free.
I am set free.
It is for freedom that I am set free.
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