Catching Thoughts

Written on Sunday, August 30, 2009 by theDUKE

I've been quite distracted as I'm trying to study and write a paper. Instead of reading journal articles for research and madly typing I am stuck considering God's purpose for what He still wants me to do. So I've been sitting and waiting for God to drip His Spirit and His will onto my head. I'd really like to move onto my research paper, but I am just so anxious for God's inspiration to be known in my heart. It is totally confusing and wild to just expect that eventually the Holy One in Heaven will communicate to an ordinary person.

But yes, it is the desire for God to get people in the right place. There is a small verse hidden in the otherwise popular Psalm 23, in verse 3 it goes:

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

There are several different forms of Psalms. They are a collection of prayers that Israel had over generations. Some are for praising God, some for lament and groaning, and still other Psalms are screaming against injustice. Psalms are the conversations in people's hearts that they put forward. Psalms are raw and gritty; they beg and rejoice against God's holiness. Psalms are opening of broken hearts that ask for God's mending. Psalm 77

Among other things distracting my research reading, I downloaded via iPhone Kindle the book "Crazy Love". The first chapter generally addresses the shortfalls and yearnings that believers in Christ have for themselves:

Most of us know that we are supposed to love and fear God; that we are supposed to read our Bibles and pray so that we can get to know Him better; that we are supposed to worship Him with our lives. But actually living it out is challenging.

It confuses us when loving God is hard. Shouldn't it be easy to love a God so wonderful? When we love God because we feel we should love Him, instead of genuinely loving out of our true selves, we have forgotten who God really is. Our amnesia is flaring up again.

As much as we want to get an idea about God in our minds or understand Him, the intellectual things are not functional for spiritual desires. I don't really know what to do with author Francis Chan's comments above except to nod my head in agreement. Can I take something more from this? These are things I already recognize as shortfalls in following Jesus with my lack of conviction and surrender to Him. Almost as obvious, it is God's will to drip His love on people and for people to love Him back as hard as they can. I want God to give me that genuine eagerness deep in the core of my morphing heart and soul. I want my heart to be shaped how He wants it to be.

Maybe God will answer when I have extreme desire and patience. Psalm 27 via the MSG:

^7-9 Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs:
"Be good to me! Answer me!"
When my heart whispered, "Seek God,"
my whole being replied,
"I'm seeking him!"
Don't hide from me now!

^9-10 You've always been right there for me;
don't turn your back on me now.
Don't throw me out, don't abandon me;
you've always kept the door open.
My father and mother walked out and left me,
but God took me in.

^11-12 Point me down your highway, God;
direct me along a well-lighted street;
show my enemies whose side you're on.
Don't throw me to the dogs,
those liars who are out to get me,
filling the air with their threats.

^13-14 I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness
in the exuberant earth.
Stay with God!
Take heart. Don't quit.
I'll say it again:
Stay with God.

Posted in Crazy Love, Francis Chan, Psalms | Comment Now!

The 3rd Way

Written on Monday, August 10, 2009 by theDUKE

I had something really cool I wanted to write about.

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