Laced With Grace

This morning as I was reading I suddenly couldn’t see. I looked down and realized that the right lens had popped out of my glasses. Since I wear bi-focals (and have since college) this is a major dilemna. Without my glasses I am pretty useless.

I sent my children to go find a tiny screw driver and set about trying to repair my wayward glasses. The trouble with glasses is that when they fall apart, I can’t see the tiny hinge and screw to fix them. My glasses are what allow me to see, without them

everything, including my glasses is a blur. Without my glasses I must rely on my children or husband to help me fix them. After many attempts and much encouragement from my fascinated children, I got them back together and back on my face.

The thing that struck me while I was fumbling about trying to fit the lens back into place was that I am in a similar place spiritually. Right now my spiritual glasses are being mended and I can’t see my way clearly. Normally, with the help of the Bible, the Holy Spirit’s clear leading, and my beliefs, I can see my way pretty clear. However, right now, my spiritual glasses are being mended. My life is all shaken up and everything I thought to be true about who I am in Christ has been removed, at least for a time. I can’t rely on my past experiences, on my doctrinal beliefs, or even on what I have read in His Word (all these make up my spiritual glasses through which I view my world) and instead must rely solely on Him, on His quiet voice, on His leading through my current circumstances, on what He is speaking to me through his Word now and through older, wiser Christians. I am blinded for the moment and must lean completely on Him until He cleans my spiritual glasses a bit, fixes whatever is wrong with them, and hands them back, giving me new and clearer vision.

I hate being without my glasses. I get headaches when my world is blurry. I look forward to seeing clearly again–and I know that when the vision returns my sight will be so much clearer than what it was before because my well-worn beliefs get just as scratched and smudged as my real glasses making my vision much less clear than it should be.

Lord, I look forward to seeing better, clearer, to having a better understanding of who I am in You. Lord, in the meantime, lead me and guide me, grow me closer to You as I lean in lest I stumble. Lord, whatever Your plan, I pray that it would be over and above my small plans and visions.

So, how is your vision? Are you seeing things His way?

As Christians we are taught to turn the other cheek when others offend us or cause us pain. We are not to strike out in retribution nor take matters into our own hands. And yet, that is what we are more apt to do. When someone opposes us, we argue. When someone offends us, we feel the need to defend our beliefs and who we are. We are so quick to answer back and continue the unhealthy conversation we find ourselves in.

When the devil appears in your midst, does God want you to argue with him? Does God want to hear your words, fired off as a weapon of defense?

Absolutely not.

God wants us to walk away and refuse to indulge the devil in his desire for our time and attention. He wants to enrage us in his immoral manner and it is God’s will that we simply walk away, no matter how difficult it may be.

But you follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, passion, love, perseverance, persecutions and sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch…what persecutions I endured and out of them all the Lord rescued me!
2Timothy 3:10-11 NSB

Our Lord does not wish us to fight. He does not wish us to engage with the devil. He desires we shall turn from that which threatens our morals and valued. He desires that we turn from the one who wishes to engage us and, instead, turn to HIM.

When the ways of people please the Lord, He makes even their enemies live at peace with them.
Proverbs 16:7 NLT

Lord,
Help us find the strength to walk away from the temptation of engagement and walk on the path that, instead, leads us to You. Help us ward off the devil and find refuse in Your loving arms. This we ask in your name.
Amen.

What verse do you hold near to you when faced with opposition? How does the Lord pull you towards Him at those times?

“Those who read fast reap no more advantage than a bee would by only skimming over the surface of the flower, instead of waiting to penetrate into it, and extract its sweets.”
~ Madame Jeanne Guyon ~

“Tracey Lynne! Stop biting and swallowing like a dog! Slow down and CHEW! You’re going to make yourself sick! You can’t even taste it!”

So went my poor mother’s lament during countless dinners when I was growing up. I have two speeds- supersonic- and slow-motion. Dinner times- were a mixture of both. If I had something I liked to eat- and something I wanted to do when I was done— I wolfed down my dinner like a hound at the bowl.

If, on the other hand- I didn’t like dinner or- didn’t have anyone waiting for me to come back out and play… then- it was sloooooow motion. Everyone was finished and the kitchen cleaned up, while I was still eating mac and cheese with ketchup laden fish sticks. (Maybe I was avoiding loading the dishwasher- too;)

My mothers reminders- (albeit a bit harsh) probably saved me from a number of problems. Gastrointestinal ones, among others. Sometimes- I wish she were here during my devotional times- to give me the same reminders, well- slightly doctored, I suppose. ” Slow down. Taste it. (and see that the Lord is good) Savor it. His word is light and life, wolfing down thoughtless chunks will just leave you sick!”

My Mom doesn’t live with me. (That’s probably part of the reason we get along so much better now;) But quotes like todays’- speak louder and clearer than Mom’s warnings over mac and cheese, ever did.

Often- when it comes to reading- I am a skimmer. I get the jist- without all examining all the extraneous details. This is fine- when it comes to bestsellers, or even many non-fiction reads.

It’s absolutely not fine, when it comes to my devotional life. When it comes to devotions- my Mom was absolutely right. Bite and swallow- leaves me sick. God’s word is hard to digest taken out of content, in chunks that don’t go down. Conversely: sitting there forever- eating nothing, but trying to absorb it through “osmosis” just leaves me starving. Just having an open Bible isn’t enough. Learning to learn it- to get all you can from it- is what we must do.

My husband is not a bite and swallow kind of guy. As a matter of fact, I do not savor steakhouse dinner dates with my husband. He is a bone-sucker. You know the type. They pick up the bone, and gnaw it until there is nothing left for the poor dog at home. He’s even been known to eat the marrow and whatever fat or gristle that others would leave behind. That man- enjoys his steak. Every last bite. (Unless I’m glaring across the table and begging him to please take it home and suck it there!) The truth is- I can learn alot from him- when it comes to my devotional time.

I want to eat God’s word, the way my husband eats a steak. Not- choking down bites like childhood mac- and cheese- or sitting there staring at the cover waiting for magic to open it for me— but fully engaged. Mind, Spirit, Body…. thoroughly nourished by His word.

This requires a few things:

1) TIME. We’ll never FIND it- we have to MAKE it. We make time to eat food- we need to make time to be in the word.

2) Appropriate study aids. There are a number of others- but here is a very basic- and helpful starter list. I know that many have and are aware of these- but fo those who aren’t, I want you to know! (Somebody I love told me aand showed me how to use them!

a) A Good Study Bible- Your Pastor’s recommendation as to version etc. is helpful here. I like the NIV and the ESV. For study and preparation for teaching or speaking- I usually use a parallel Bible that has 8 different versions, side by side.
b) A Bible Dictionary- A Bible dictionary gives you background on the culture and understanding of relevant wording that helps make sense of many of the confusing verses.
c) A Good Concordance.- When I am asking God about His opinion on a topic- this is imperative. A concordance, lists key words- with all (some or most- depending on your version) their uses in the Bible.

3) Understanding of and working within, your temperament and life stage. This is a tough one for me- sometimes. I am in a different season now- than I was 6 years ago. 6 Years ago- my 2 sons were in school all day. Devotional time that was uninterrupted and extensive, was fairly common. Then, God blessed us with a “surprise baby”.

Life changed again. Preschoolers’ need constant attention, create constant work- and truth be told- some days I’m just glad I got to brush my teeth- let alone crack open my Vine’s or do a word study in my Greek -Hebrew Study Bible! Sure- there are days and times… but not the regularity that I miss.

This is a season. Since I’ve already been there- done that- I know it’s true by experience. During this season- I’m finding books and Bible on my IPod to be invaluable. I can listen when I’m doing laundry- or to drone out Dora The Explorer.

Aside from life stage (season) – there is temperament- personality. I know that some struggle with timing. Are you a morning person? Than morning devotions might be best for you. A Night-owl? Then that may be best for you! I know a few people- for whom reading functions as a sedative. KNOCKS them out. Cold. Listening to teaching- or the word set to music, might be a good choice there. As well as focusing on smaller portions of Scripture at one time. For some- movement and activity also helps us to focus. For them, reading on the treadmill or stairstepper is worth a try!

There is no one answer here. But there is one command. : Deuteronomy 8:3 ” He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”em>

For more takes on today’s quote…. Visit Laurel- Laurel is our hostess this week!