I shared some reflections a few weeks ago. Although I've been a Bible learner and disciple of Christ for many years, I do not yet have this walk figured out. It's filled with missteps and mistakes, and even when I re-read some of my prior posts, I can see how I could have represented the truth more fully and adequately. It is humbling to know that God still brings truth even in our tiny bit of understanding.
Today, we start a Bible study I've refused to write for months. It is a chapter out of my dark soul and a testament to the bright communion God showed me over a long, swarthy night. I know I need to sit still and get some of the messy, messy work God has graciously done down on paper. I dread it and welcome it all in one.
“…I saw the sovereign master seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple.” —Isaiah 6:1
I love the imagery of the Bible. This verse speaks triumphantly about the vastness of our God and Creator. “The hem of his rob filled the temple.” Picture that with me for just a moment…our supreme Lord sitting on His throne and the hem of His robe – just the hem – filled the temple.
I read Psalm 139:5 this morning during my (extra early) quiet time (thank you, sleepless Sunday night) and it talked about being hemmed in (protected) by God. What an extravagant visual of the hem of His majestic robe, and how I am tucked away safely in it.
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
So often we try to place parameters on God. We try to cram Him into a manageable size we can somewhat fathom and we forget that God cannot be contained. Why do we limit Him, as if He’s not big enough? As if He’s not mighty enough. Or even worse, that He doesn’t care enough.
I’ve had the song Bigger Than I Thought by Passion Conferences on my playlist. I pray you take a few minutes and shut off everything else to allow the lyrics minister to your weary heart. He’s bigger than you think, beloved.
… Speak to me
When the silence steals my voice
You understand me
You understand me
… Come to me
In the valley of unknowns
You understand me
You understand me
You understand me, God
You understand me
Amen.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work in you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. –Philippians 1:6
I read a book by Andrew Murray entitled The Master's Indwelling once, and he gave such a great analogy. It went something like this: Have you ever experienced a fabulous church service or quiet time where you felt completely refreshed and as though God had touched your heart? Then the next day, or even a few hours later, you were left wondering how that spark evaporated. You spouted off a few four-letter words you shouldn't have, you thought about choking the guy sitting across from you at work because he was tapping his pencil repeatedly on the desk, or you acted selfishly. No matter what your failing, it leaves you wondering how one second you are so tender and another so calloused.
As I read The Master's Indwelling, the author made one statement that stopped me: "I can count upon God to maintain it and to carry me through all." —> The "it" he's referring to is what God is doing in you.
God knows I am incapable of achieving whatever needs to happen. So as much as I adore being the productive, perfect achiever in this world, He is helping me unlearn this prideful, self-reliant habit and be dependent upon Him.
It is my responsibility to believe — regardless of how I feel — that what God is doing in my soul today, He will not only complete, but He will maintain.
The Apostle Paul speaks of the same thing in Philippians 1:5-6:
"And I am certain that God, who began the good work in you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."
Scripture assures us that God is not only mighty to save but mighty to continue.
So often, when God speaks to our hearts about changing, we get frustrated because our eyes are not focused on the completed work achieved through faith, but on the gap. The gap between where we are and where we know God desires us to be can be completely debilitating. I should know; my perfectionistic self has "measured" that gap's breadth, width, and height many times. And I always come up short.
It seems an impossible feat. But glory to God, all things are possible through Him. Furthermore, He has countered my "measurements" by reminding me in Ephesians 3:14-21 of how wide and long and high and deep the dimensions of Christ's love are for me. God only requires us to believe He is willing and able to begin the good work, maintain it, and carry us through the transformative journey.
He is the God who maintains.
It's been "one of those days" for me. Life seems to compound itself with stress and misfortune. It's the type of day where you want to shimmy back in bed, wrap the soft covers around your weary body, and pray you fall asleep fast. Do you ever wonder how a day can begin with such peace and refreshment and end with mass frustration? What happened in the middle? Life.
Today, we wrap up the Romans 6, 7, and 8 study. I can officially say this is the shortest and longest Bible study I've ever written in my dozen years of blogging. Holy cow. I published the first Romans post on April 30, and we've only made it through three chapters in eight months. I'd love to say it's because we went super deep, but it was more that Tiffany went super slow. As I ponder 2022, this was a year for the books. I left my corporate fintech career of nearly 20 years, went to Brooklyn to run a different fintech company, added three girls to our household through fostering (for a total of 9 in our family now), and I got in some naps. And I super overdid it on my coffee addiction. Wowza.
I've written before about a section of this scripture called Wordless Groans. It was one of those writings I wrote for myself, and I continue to re-read it in various seasons. We can divide Romans 8:18-30 by the "groanings" discussed: (1) Creation groans (verses 18-22); (2) We, believers, groan (verses 23-25); (3) The Holy Spirit groans (verses 25-30). Three "Groans"
No one is exempt from wrestling in this life, beloved. No one. We all wrestle. You wrestle. I wrestle. With anti-Eden thoughts. With ambitions and passions that aren't in obedience to Christ. With the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). I can be raw and open about this because I know you’re struggling, too.
"You're so hard on yourself. But remember, everyone has a chapter they don't read out loud. Take a moment. Sit back. Marvel at your life. At the mistakes that gave you wisdom, at the suffering that gave you strength. Despite everything, you still move forward and continue to persevere. Remember, no matter how dark it gets, the sun will rise again."
Paul has addressed our death, life, reconciliation, habits of freedom, and what to do with the "occasional" sin. Now we'll learn how to not go back from where we came from (being enslaved by sin).
This week, we'll cover the last two verses (13-14) in this section (Romans 6:1-14). I've included the entirety of the verses so you can read all you've studied so far. I've also linked the previous studies to the verses if you need a refresher (we could all use reminders) and bolded the verses we'll dive into this week.
