A Meditation
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. Luke 12:27 NASB
Consider – Today I was reading a great passage in the Oswald Chambers devotional. I have read his work on a regular basis for many years now, but once in awhile I come across one of his thoughts that is just so true that I just strikes me as though I see it for the first time. He was writing about the verse where Yeshua points to the wildflowers in the field and says, “Meditate on these flowers. They don’t do anything to discover the purpose of their lives. They are simply what they are supposed to be, under the care of God, exactly the way that He made them.”
This speaks powerfully to me. So much of my time, especially in these last years when things have been so difficult, has been spent trying to find my purpose. Once I saw that the basis for my existence needed to be completely changed, I still carried the same personality and intensity into this new orientation. Of course, that translated into anxiety about “what should I do,” concentrating on how to recover, how to become the person that I wanted to be, how to make up for all the lost time and broken relationships. It is amazing how easily we can subvert even the best motives into another frantic effort to meet some sort of imaginary standard. Anyway, this verse reminds me that my anxious striving to find my purpose, and the culture’s myopia with fulfillment and purpose, is really just another form of ego fulfillment. No wonder we never really feel satisfied.
What I realize, and what I have to be reminded about over and over, is that my life is not about what I am supposed to do. I see that life is really aimed at concentrating my existence on my relationship with God, and that He is more than capable of engineering my existence so that the purposes He wishes to come to pass in my life will naturally grow into reality. Actually, the life that God has in mind for us is really incredibly simple. It has a single focus: to be rightly related to Him. All the rest is just the way that He grows us and since we are not in control of our circumstances, but He is, the way that He grows us is no longer tied to my frantic efforts to bring things about. I can concentrate fully on my need to draw as close to Him as possible, praying daily that I will have clean hands and a pure heart and that I will be entirely open to His prodding and correction, enjoying who He is, not just what He does. And I will be assured that God will guide my path, even when I do not see how or why or when. The simple task of my life is just this: build a relationship with Him that is filled with joy over who He is. The rest of it is entirely up to Him. So my circumstances really no longer matter and I can stop being anxious about them or deliberately trying to manage them.
Part of this realization is the shift from the cultural model of seeing to the biblical model of hearing. Our world is primarily based on the visual. Heidegger pointed this out some time ago. The inferential empiricism of this world (the dominant epistemology) is a visual epistemology. What you see is real. What you cannot see (what is not measurable) is not real. The dramatic paradigm shift that occurs in the Bible is that the audible model is primary. The truth is no longer based on my visible reality, but rather on what I hear, the word given to me by God. This is the real basis of faith, to trust in the word without the visible evidence (faith is not sight), and to adjust my behavior accordingly in spite of the lack of visible evidence. Faith is trusting in the word spoken to me because of the character of the One who speaks it. That means that Yeshua is right when he says, “Don’t be anxious about your life.” I believe him because of his character. I change my behavior based on what he says to me even if I do not see the evidence for this. In fact, demanding evidence (a sign) is really to insist on the visible epistemology, to insult the character of the one who delivers the word.
The transition from visible to audible is dramatic. For me it means that I have to deliberately stop trying to see how it will all work out. I have to learn to trust. What a huge issue this has been in my life for as long as I can remember. But it is the central issue that has kept me from ever making total commitments to anyone, even God. Now I see how foolish that is. Relationships, as you well know, are about trust. Without trust there is only acquaintance. I am convinced that God is drawing me toward Him in a way that is breaking down all the old habits of self-reliance since self-reliance destroys trust. Anyway, the road ahead is long, and I expect it will not be pleasant. But how it twists and turns really doesn’t matter, does it? What matters is who is walking with you. Someone you can trust.
Topical Index: trust, visible, audible, consider, Luke 12:27
Beautifully stated. I can relate, as I’m sure many of your readers can also.
Wonderful
Only recently it was put on my heart how important it is to have ears that hear
Hear Him and obey
Trusting who He is ALL the time
Thank you for this very encouraging word
Amen Skip! Learning to live fully ‘one day at a time’ is a challenge in a world, business world, even Christian world that demands performance to show success. I’ve been learning what God’s idea of ‘success’ is and its a far cry from what is modeled in society. “Go to the land that I’ll show you.” That’s all you get. I’m learning how to rest in that.
My brother Skip, Kathryn and I have so enjoyed and dare I say reveled in the deapth, clarity and yes majesty of insight, wisdom and humanity reflected in you. Sure it’s from above, but brother you have contributed no small amount of blood sweat and tears. We have choice, we chose. Yes for some incomprehensible reason YHVH also made a choice. He chose to actually put his creation into our hands to manage. I belive the word to Adam was rule.
By the grace mercy and kindness of Yah I have known, heard and followed him from my earliest youth. This is not about me but we are the chosen vehicles for the Spirit. The point is we chose, we are given a life, gifts, and then we hit the road. Hopefully we check the map, call home for instructions often and maintain connection with the navigator. But it’s our care, yes designed with specifications for particular terrains but it will go anywhere we take it. I am grasping at straws but the spirit prompts me to share of my history. Since the age of about nine I was planning to go into architecture or the ministry. It was never made specifically clear what path to take. I realize now they have run together. At at about 24 just after my graduation with my first of three degrees in Architecture I enquired if I should then go into the Ministry, the answer came “go where you will, you are mine I’m going to use you.” It’s most marvelous to me that I will conclude this post with the advice of my natural father. (Just why can be found in my story on my blog worksofwords.live the pass word needed is Jahh). My wise but trubled father said to me once, “Your life is God’s gift to you what you do with it is your gift to God.” We are free, mysteriously we also have a destiny, specific things to contribute to the grand drama of HIS-Story. But also mysteriously how we get there to do them and just what they are is up too us. It’s simply wonderful. ..
Ughhh care=car
Yes skip you do show that you have learned to cross communicate to any listener or reader. Have you thought of putting this into a audible mode? Scripture itself can be so full of imagination and sight for the Seer. Today I was looking at Psalm 91, under the shelter of his wings. the picture depicted was a mother bird with her chicks under her wing, smooth on the outside to repel rain, and fluffy on the underside for the comfort of the chicks. I thought that this Psalm was written as David was near the ark and the sun would shine on one side and the shadow was cast on the other. And David would be in the shadow of the Ark. The ark was representing God’s laws in within them whatever David needed. Maybe I’m Wrong on some of this but the revelatory insight that scripture has was intended for us to find through meditation. The more accuracy we have in the scriptures the more truth is conveyed. And truth will not be denied toward the believer if they are truly seeking. Someone recently game a speech on the quality of scripture and of Our Lives. The more we hide ourselves within the word of God, the word of God is evident. God’s word has a purpose, when we fulfill that purpose the same outcome is obtained. Too close I will share what has been getting me through this last year of finding purpose. If the Lord has called you to it the Lord will see you through it Shalom everyone
In further consideration, I wanted to share my walk with Yah has lead me to the place that I am simply trusting not processing, defining, yet the needle in the haystack I’m trying to uncover still is that of purpose. We are created with particular gifts and abilities that lead to and lend themselves to particular ends. Mysteriously God has a plan, and so should I. (I make them for a living aftercall) Holding them lightly and letting the construction evolve in the process is the chalenge. You will note that Genesis one is about creating and Genesis Two is about forming. Two direct processes. Yet both based on a very clear preconsived plan. Yet one that is organic and evolving at the same time. Did I say mysteriously yet?.
Gotta love the spirit “The more we hide ourselves within the word of God, the word of God is evident. God’s word has a purpose, when we fulfill that purpose the same outcome is obtained. ” was posted between my comments. So how does the word reveal our particular and singularly unique purpose? Yes it is to know God, to reveal him him and walk with him but where do we go together?
Amen! Thank you for this post, it puts words around what I’ve been feeling as well. I hear a word now and then, and it’s amazing to me how one word at a time can put so much context around my own life. From Journey, to Community, to Wisdom. All three are promises from God. Community this past year has made such a difference in my life. “What matters is who is walking with you. Someone you can trust.” Absolutely! I continue to pray for community and know I’ve found a piece of that here!
“Faith comes by hearing” Well, you just clarified that one! Thank you so much for pointing out the difference between visual and audible. We are guided by that “still small Voice”, too. Behind us, no less!
Trust is also about really learning how to listen to others. Our culture is obsessed with how we LOOK TO others. When I trust you I can hear you. I love this! When we really hear our children, we respond to THEM instead of attempting to figure out how to get them to respond to us. When YHVH hears us, He responds to us the same way we are supposed to when we shema Him. Hear/do.
I can see over the edge of the ditch but still go on my way, but the one who stops to hear the moans is the one who puts himself (literally) in that ditch – in that place of the other – in order to treat the other as he himself would wish to be treated. I assume that was what Yeshua on the cross was doing, too; hearing my cry, and doing what He would have wanted me to do for Him, if I could have,. that is. May I pick up my cross and follow. Amen.
BINGO!!
+1. Amen!
The 3rd paragraph speaks to me so deeply! Always searching for what I am supposed to do, looking for my purpose, and all that is required is to be rightly related to Him. He will work it all out. Amen!
How revelation flowers!!!
Agreed, Skip, God’s simple Word to us is “Listen”!
First, be in relationship with Him. Repent and relegate your will to His.
Then watch Him work His purposes for you through you as you trust Him to.
Just like a flower does!
Thank you, Skip. The struggle for letting go of control seems to be never ending for me. At least now I can recognize the issue and do my best to let Yahovah do what is meant to be done. Finding Torah helped me understand His will for my life, to be His child.
This is so beautiful and timely for me as well. I’m convinced that God is continually calling to us, speaking to us through His created order, exhorting us to meditate on Him, to be still and know that He is God. If you have any doubt how powerful nature can be in this regard, just read the works of John Muir! Nature to him was (is) God’s cathedral, and he coined the wonderful adjective ‘Godful’ to describe so many of his experiences in the High Sierra and elsewhere. There are so many gifts (and surprises) from God in nature’s realm, were we only open to see – and hear! – them. I encourage my students to get surgery to remove the cell phones from their ears when outside, because the greatest free show on Earth surrounds them – and to look up! (Except when driving or operating heavy machinery of course :-)). We live at the base of a giant ocean of atmosphere, and the clouds in particular are fascinating to watch as they obey the ‘commands’ laid down by the Author of all – as they appear, evolve and disappear from our sight. He paints every evening sky uniquely. The mountains sing His praises – how then can I not do the same?
And don’t forget – if the skies are clear, we may be able to witness one of the greatest spectacles of all on August 21st – a total eclipse of the sun! This has been on my bucket list for years…
Thanks John!…brings to mind Rom 1 and Psalm 19.
A beloved friend in Kenya was just preaching on this passage! I’ll be forwarding this to a couple of other friends, and reading it a couple of times myself…
Thanks so much for sharing this, Skip! I can relate to all you said. Putting to death my old thinking of self-reliance (the desire to be “god” of my own life) and instead choosing to trust even when it feels like I am insane is my daily battle. Praise God for being our Teacher, that it isn’t up to us to figure it all out. All we need to do is listen with the heart of a child, choosing to believe that our Father knows best. Thanks for reminding me of this today!
I often feel a connection with Skip when I read today’s word and discover so many parallels between what is on his mind and what is on mine. Today was especially powerful for me. As I read his posting, I felt like I was on an on-ramp merging with several lanes going the same direction as me. What a feeling of elation to be swept in like that! But then I come to the line that says, “pray daily for clean hands and a pure heart” and I am wrecked. Single vehicle crash.
God help me, Please! Help me get beyond these thoughts and ideas and words to a life that’s pleasing to you.
Have you ever felt the need to ‘tweak’? To ‘tweak’ is to attempt to improve what already exists. Most technological innovation springs forth through this process, a process at times, painfully slow, by human standards, at times quite disastrous. To be creative, one must embrace this process. The creative process can be shrouded in ‘foggy’ days and thoughts and gloom is no strange bed-fellow to the creative process. Maybe that is one of the many reasons the Creator has blessed us with our five senses. These senses were meant to work in harmony in the good creation, that we might embrace our God given ‘base’ vocation, to reflect His glory into His good creation; to steward this Earth now and for all of eternity. As I understand it, that is the will of the Creator towards His human creatures. God’s overall vocational will for us is clear. Within that vocation, we by necessity, spin into it, a vocational reality, affording us the opportunity to support our family, grow our minds and transfer to the next generation, hopefully, an improved existence. Somedays we succeed, somedays we fail miserably and most days we just exist. Our ‘daily bread’ on those days, of just existing, is hope and prayer for change. We were made to create, not just exist. To seek improvement is good stewardship. We are partnered with the Creator, through the presence of His spirit within us, to do His will. I cannot ‘hear’ a sunset or ‘see’ the sounds of a symphony. But I can see and touch and smell and almost ‘hear’ and ‘taste’ the presence of a rose. And that is the beauty of creation God has blessed us with, as we proceed through, what we term, the dimension of space-time. But lest we get caught up standing around singing Kumbaya lyrics all day long, we are jolted continuously back to reality by each day’s news and the seeming unending stupidity, meanness, self-centeredness and sick narcissism of our fellow humans. But then, God never deemed the creation to be perfect, just good. So trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness must remain our ‘centerpiece bouquet’. Somedays we may ‘see’ but not ‘hear’ God. Somedays we may feel we can almost ‘touch’ God. Perhaps that was only one holding a newborn baby, which invoked ‘touching’ God, but I embrace that experience and I thank God for that delight. Can we ever make sense of everything? I can’t. It’s a ‘fool’s errand’ to try to see how it ‘all’ will work out. Do the human vocation God created us for and be your best at your ‘sub-vocation’ of living life. You may discover along the way what being ‘truly human’ is all about. That, I believe, would be God’s desire for us. You may not make such a discovery, but at least you tried.
Fellowshipping in the spirit. What a future. This can happen at any time, at any moment, with any believer! Think about it. Whenever the word of God is relayed through the spirit of God, there is fellowship. right here right now within these posts, we are having Fellowship. My question is… Do we rejoice in this? Give thanks to the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Whenever anyone does a good thing, it is the spirit of the Lord that leads him, and we are to let that person know. Even Yeshua said after being called the Good Shepherd he commented and said… There is no one good except the one who has sent me, look unto him alone.
Skip please consider the Scripture says the hope of the righteous is an expectancy of good and it manifests as gladness in us . When we are being obedient we manifest this gladness because of this hope . Consider repenting for expecting bad . Check proverb 10:28
The world doesn’t matter Skip. It’s all about GOD!
Thanks Skip for today’s post. It has lifted up my soul and the encouragement it brings to me as I battle with the same issue can’t be fully expressed. I just have to cease from my own works and learn to trust as I rest in His finished work. Doing that from the point of quietness and rest in prayer through what He has already spoken to me, as well as, listening to hear more from Him will suffice it. I really need to consistently quieten my anxious soul when it starts hounding me of not accomplishing set goals. I am reminded from this post that the Father has it all set. It’s just for me to really draw closer and rest so I can hear and walk accordingly.