Craving in the Wilderness

I was reading through Psalm 106 this morning and was struck by the one phrase in the passage.  It said they (the Israelites) craved intensely in the desert.  The Psalmist was remembering how God had just crushed the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, and then talks of how they praised God but soon became impatient in the wilderness.

¹² Then they believed his promises
   and sang his praise.

 ¹³ But they soon forgot what he had done
   and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
¹⁴ In the desert they gave in to their craving;
   in the wilderness they put God to the test. 
¹⁵ So he gave them what they asked for,
   but sent a wasting disease among them.

This reminded me of my own shortcomings.  God is going to lead us all through a wilderness of some sort.  It is going to happen.  The wilderness is going to produce a craving.  For the Israelites they craved the comfort of oppression. They should have been craving the presence of God. The irony is this occurs in a special period of time when God's presence was among his people.  No wonder he referred to them as being stiff-necked and obstinate. God was there he was with them.  They watched him part a sea, and then close it up to destroy an army, and then they become impatient and want for a meal.

For me, the wilderness draws me to a love of junk food.  I dive in to all manners of fast food and gallons of soda. The result is I pack on pounds.  What I fail to realize is that this hunger for junk food is the cry of my hungry soul longing to be with God. 

Food is easier.  I can control it.  It is tangible. I can hold it and see the satisfaction as I devour a double cheeseburger. I can feel the tingle of the soda in the back of my throat.  Craving God means I must relinquish the control to something I can not see and cannot control.  I have to wait.  I have to face demons in the meantime. I have to trust in the goodness and provision of God.  The wilderness leads to better things. I pray that God would give me my daily bread. (this is what the Israelites were unhappy with).  

In Matthew chapter 4 Satan tempts Jesus.  One of the things he does in the wilderness Jesus was in was to tempt him to turn rocks into bread. Here's the rub. We have to learn how to crave God in the wilderness wait for the bread of heaven He provides. In the meantime we need to understand Satan is peddling rock. Your craving may not be food.  Change the word food above to your craving an see how it reads.  

Life is Short...God is Good...People are People

In my last post, I came to the conclusion that life is short, and God is good. I would simply like to add, people are people. This conclusion came to me after we went to feed homeless people in Austin last weekend.  You know, the people we make eye contact with while we are driving and try to avoid.  I usually avoid comments like that, unless they expose my own hypocrisy. These are the people who we went to and hung out with for an afternoon.

It is one thing to write a check, donate a kit, and even bring a meal.  It is another thing all together to sit and seek to understand what people are going through.  After a couple hours of talking to a Lometa 2007 graduate. He said, "You guys are different.  Most people just drop stuff off...even churches. You guys actually want to know what we are going through." (people will know you are my disciples by the love you show for one another.)

Here is what I learned, people are people. Red and Anthony were not made of different things.  They were made like you and I...in the image of God.  There is no difference between them and I except for the barriers and differences we erect. In some cases the only difference between these people, the people in the Travis County Jail, and you and I is a couple of decisions and a couple of breaks.  Some were homeless through no fault of their own. The depression and isolation has moved many into addictions, but God has placed homeless people with the knowledge of the word and the desire to save the lost. One homeless man said he reads his Bible 30-45 minutes a day.  He had the knowledge to back it up as well.

Here's the rub...God has not forgotten these people.  When you read the Old Testament, God reveals his heart for the broken hearted, oppressed and fatherless. He is sending people to minister to them. So much so that they see every gift and kind act as a gift from God.

I was so humbled to be a part of the team of people of all ages who went to minister to God's people.  It certainly was a life changer for me.

So here is the conclusion, Life is Short, God is good, People are people.

Life is Short~God is Good

It seems obvious, but life is short. So often we long for our routines holding on to the idea that our routine brings us comfort.  The only difference between a routine and a rut is four letters. Think about it...how are ruts created...By traveling the same path over and over and over again. If we are not careful we can let our routines drive our lives.  We see our time like money and we keep packing events into the empty spots of our routines and eventually wear out.  All of this leaves us empty.

In the past three weeks I have been a part of 3 funerals and seen 4 baptisms. These two things seem unrelated until you consider that the God who created the universe is still moving in our lives and that he intends for us to celebrate Him while we are here. He has shown himself to us in all o fthese events whether in tragedy or celebration. These events recenter our priorities and focus our hearts back to the God who longs for us to be in His presence. In the meantime we should be looking for the time we get to be with Him in heaven.

Stephen Hawking, arguably one of the smartest men on earth has recently declared there is no God.  Physics does not need it. Since there is no God, there is no need for an afterlife and no need for a heaven.  He says we must simply enjoy the grand design of the universe.  A design needs a designer.  Otherwise we are resigned to a hopeless existence, where there is no God to save us.  Sometimes the events of our lives skew our perception of the person of God. A masterpiece behind a dirty glass is still a masterpiece.  When you remove it from the glass its brilliance shows through.  In the same way, His goodness and mercy is pure and good regardless of our perception. It is this goodness and mercy that brings us hope through His Son.  When we let Christ clarify our perception by mending our hearts we see the majesty of our King in all of His brilliance.

We don't need to be a world renowned astrophysicist/cosmologist to answer the questions about God.  He is showing Himself to us in all areas of life if we look.  As school starts, be mindful of your routines, but take comfort in God.

This brings me to the same conclusion reached by the Psalmist. Life is short...God is good. Because of this my soul longs to praise Him.

Attention All Grace Parents

Parents of all ages I have prepared a newsletter as a way of getting important information to you about the ministries to youth and children. I also would like for us to be able to celebrate God's activity in the lives of our kids. I will be putting the newsletter out once a month electronically and also have a limited number of printed copies on Sunday mornings.  You should be able to find it on the Grace Fellowship Student Ministry Facebook page.  Thank you for allowing me the privelage fo serving your families.

Priceless

Buying the vehicle you always wanted (enough to retire on if you would invest it)...Getting the new promotion you have been shooting for...(not going to bring you the happiness you are looking for)...watching a man baptize his daughter (a priceless gift that has an impact on eternity).

One of the greatest blessings in ministry is witnessing what God is doing in people's lives.  Our God is still on His throne and He is still deeply concerned with and in love with his people.  Yesterday we were able to catch a glimpse of what He is up to in our church.  Our service started with the baptism of two preteens.  This was awesome in itself.  My friend and colleague Justin was able to baptize his daugther. This brought tears to my eyes.  This is the ultimate picture of love for a father and his children.

Then a grown man got on the podium and told of how he was in a sinking cycle of depression. He told of the  healing power of Jesus and howhe was able to say goodbye to the son he had lost 12 years ago and goodbye to the chains of depression that had enslaved him for the past 12 years.

Our service ended with the testimony of Justin and his call to be a man of God in the school system and how God has placed this call on his heart. Finally we affirmed the call of a young man who feels led to recreational ministry.

Wow...what a picture!!! After all this time, God is still on the move and He is still concerned about His people.

This is the essence of the power of the Gospel. Surrender and celebration of new life.  The celebration of a new creation set free from the bonds that enslaved them and a calling to a new purpose to bring God glory through his power.

It was truly awesome to see this powerful display of the spirit moving in and ministering to his people.

How bout you? What is going on right now that can only be explained by the mighty hand of God?