King David was an up and down sort of guy. He was the author of the Psalms, beautiful and heart-touching songs about his relationship to God. He was also a man who used his power to seduce a married woman and then had her husband killed by ordering him to the front line of a harsh battle. He laid the foundation for the nation of Israel but watched his children's bad behavior destroyed them. Maybe that is why I love the psalms! They were written by a pretty normal kind of guy who had and used great gifts, but whose passions and ego caused damage to his relationship with God leading to some pretty awful stuff. But he also kept coming back to God, repenting and receiving God's grace to allow him to tray again. This is a pattern I can relate to.
That path seems so narrow, between the perfection I can not achieve in this world and the life of sin that has proven so unsatisfying and even frightening. But God is not narrow. God knows us and loves us and asks us to keep trying again, rejoicing in baby steps. It is not God who says, "You are too broken to have value." It is not God who says, "No one could ever find you truly worthy." It is not God who says, "You have messed up so often God has lost patience with you." You will find nothing like that in the Bible!
When God was rebuking the Israelites, the people He chose to be refined and corrected so they could be light and salt to the World, it was not because He hates them, but because He loves them. God never gives up on us! But there are many who would prefer we believe that He does. These are people who want something from us, not love freely given, but things they fear they will loose if we understand our true worth. Listen to your heart. When someone speaks to you, are they longing for good things for you? Or are they just afraid that if you walk away they will be left with the noise in their own head? Or they are demanding allegiance from you, money from you, subservience from you for their own puffing up?
God is not like that. We have nothing that God needs. God has everything that we need and longs to show us how to open our hearts to God's good gifts like healing and hope, redemption, restoration and renewal, and love, laughter and a life lived with purpose and joy.
Almighty and Loving God, You have plans for us, not to cause us pain, but to free us to enjoy the blessings of our relationship with You. We can bring any sorrow or temptation or habit to You and You will help us when we are ready to let go of our old song in order to make room for Your new one. Woo us, Lord, with persistence and power so that we can pry our dying fingers off the things that are killing us and free our souls to live in You. Teach us to sing a new song. AMEN
Psalm 961 Sing to the Lord a new song;
That path seems so narrow, between the perfection I can not achieve in this world and the life of sin that has proven so unsatisfying and even frightening. But God is not narrow. God knows us and loves us and asks us to keep trying again, rejoicing in baby steps. It is not God who says, "You are too broken to have value." It is not God who says, "No one could ever find you truly worthy." It is not God who says, "You have messed up so often God has lost patience with you." You will find nothing like that in the Bible!
When God was rebuking the Israelites, the people He chose to be refined and corrected so they could be light and salt to the World, it was not because He hates them, but because He loves them. God never gives up on us! But there are many who would prefer we believe that He does. These are people who want something from us, not love freely given, but things they fear they will loose if we understand our true worth. Listen to your heart. When someone speaks to you, are they longing for good things for you? Or are they just afraid that if you walk away they will be left with the noise in their own head? Or they are demanding allegiance from you, money from you, subservience from you for their own puffing up?
God is not like that. We have nothing that God needs. God has everything that we need and longs to show us how to open our hearts to God's good gifts like healing and hope, redemption, restoration and renewal, and love, laughter and a life lived with purpose and joy.
Almighty and Loving God, You have plans for us, not to cause us pain, but to free us to enjoy the blessings of our relationship with You. We can bring any sorrow or temptation or habit to You and You will help us when we are ready to let go of our old song in order to make room for Your new one. Woo us, Lord, with persistence and power so that we can pry our dying fingers off the things that are killing us and free our souls to live in You. Teach us to sing a new song. AMEN
Psalm 961 Sing to the Lord a new song;
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