Imitating God by doing this one thing...

 

There are many books published on how we should imitate the ways of God. These can include things like, obeying the Commandments; or knowing the Beatitudes, or something similar. 

However, I came across this thought from the author Peter Scazzero recently - it is a brilliant take on following God's example.

"We imitate God by stopping our work and resting."

In light of the lectionary reading from 1 Kings 19 (last week), these words challenge us all, especially as we try to live in a fast-paced world. Elijah was forced to imitate God because of the state of his mind and heart. We shouldn't wait until we are forced into this habit!

Thought: How else can we imitate God's ways?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

What to do when one feels spiritually and emotionally exhausted.

Hi there fellow pilgrim and friend. I am always skeptical of people who never seem to face difficulties in their lives. It just seems surreal to me. What I really relate to is when someone of deep faith is able to humbly admit that life doesn't always go according to plan. Honesty and authenticity immediately get my attention. 

In my experience, following Jesus has often been tough. Of course, there have been remarkable times of joy and victory, celebration and peace, but there have also been a fair share of the opposite. I am thankful that during these times I have been taught to cling to God and to hold onto Him for security and refuge. I have learnt that there is no shame in resting in the presence of One far greater than myself.

Listen to these words from Francois Fenelon, as he gives us a pattern for holding onto Christ.

"At times, everything in life seems to be a trial and suffering. Sometimes the cross is so heavy it can neither be carried nor dragged. Then you can only fall down beneath it, overwhelmed and exhausted."

The important thing is where we rest and that we remember to look up from where we find ourselves.

Psalm 62:8 - O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

A safe Harbour

Harbours are built to shelter boats/ships from the chaos of the sea. They provide rest and refuge for the vessels, and allow the sailors chance to catch their breath, re-stock the vessel, and prepare for the next journey.

What if we saw the presence of God as one of these safe places - a refuge - a harbour? 

What if we realised that God allows us moments to withdraw from the chaos of the sea and to rest in the still waters?

Read what Psalm 107 says: 

23 Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbour!

Thought: Do you need to pull into the harbour of God's grace today? What is stopping you?

Living in grace

D3LM3

Being intentional about this important aspect of our lives

How many times have you recently thought to yourself: "I am tired. I need to get some rest. I feel drained." If you have experienced these feelings and emotions, then I ask another question: "have you managed to find a gap to restore your soul?"

When Jesus was constantly in the public arena and ministering to the crowds, he felt the same as we often feel. He was tired and needed time to recoup and regain his inner strength. Even in the midst of the demands, he made time to withdraw, even if it was for a short time.

45 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. (Mark 6)

The people that Jesus sent home were the 5000 that he had just fed - that is a lot of people to send packing. However, Jesus did this graciously and knew that without taking care of his own soul, he would have nothing to give the people in the future. This is such a hard practise for us to get right, but something that it well worth us being intentional about.

Vane Havner once said: If you don’t come apart and rest, you will come apart.”

If you would like to read another similar post on this topic, please re-read the post from last week. For some reason, this post was 'taken down' by Facebook and so many haven't been able to read it. I think it was due to the name of the energy drink I mentioned in the title :)

Living in grace

D3LM3

Our Home

Psalm 90:1 – “Lord, through all the generations you have been our home…”

When Moses wrote these words, he remembered how through everything that he had been through, God had been their help and refuge. 

We all seek our homes to be places of safety and a haven from the outside world - they offer comfort and rest, a place to be vulnerable and a safe space where we can be ourselves. Although our human 'homes' offer us a glimpse of the perfect home, we know that one day we will be able to rest in the presence of the Lord. 

God will be our true Home.

Psalm 23:6 - Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Resting in the shadow

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High,

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” - Psalm 91:1-2

While out running in the mountains today, I was reminded of this beautiful Psalm. It speaks of shelter and refuge and of placing our complete trust in God. 

As I passed a big rocky outcrop, a great shadow fell on my path, and I felt as if the words of Psalm 91 came alive for me. 

We can rest in God's shadow. 

Go in peace.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The Camino de Santiago

The idea of walking the Camino has been in my mind for a while now and I am so excited to have the opportunity to fulfil this dream. This week is the week that we get to tick 'The Camino' off our bucket list.

In truth, I can't tell you exactly when I first heard about the Camino de Santiago, but the very idea of going on this pilgrimage has remained in my heart for ages. Every person I have spoken to, who has walked a part of the Way, has beamed when relating their own experiences and I hope to be one of those people in the future.

For those of you who may not know too much about El Camino, it is quite simply a pilgrimage (usually walking) that ends up in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. This is the place where the remains of James (Jesus' disciple, the son of Zebedee) are supposedly buried.  When translated, the name Santiago de Compostela means 'Saint James, in the field of stars.'

Sounds simple hey? Well, not exactly ....

In order to officially complete the pilgrimage, you need to walk a minimum of 100km's on any of the official routes and end up in Santiago. We will be walking on the Camino Primitivo route, which is the original pilgrim route in Northern part of Spain, and we should be covering a distance of close on 250km's. 

For us, the idea is to walk, to pray, to contemplate, to listen and to connect with God again. I know that one doesn't have to travel half-way around the world to do these things, but there is something special about doing it in the footsteps of millions of others. 

I will try and write a little more in the next few days, before we leave, but I would appreciate your prayers as we head out into this great adventure. It is my prayer that we would have our own Emmaus Road encounter (Luke 24) - and meet Christ as we walk and reflect. 

In 1604, Sir Walter Raleigh wrote: 

"Give me my scallop of quiet,
my staff of faith to walk upon,
my scrip of joy, immortal diet,
my bottle of salvation,
my gown of glory, hope's true gage,
and thus I'll take my pilgrimage."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

There is a remedy, but we don't think we need it

Life is busy! Actually, a better way to describe it is this: Life is relentless. 

We never seem to get a break or catch our breath. We are rushing from one thing to the next, giving ourselves little time to even process our emotions along the way. And the result of all of this is that more and more of us are feeling exhausted and ready to scream. We constantly ask the question: Is it ever going to stop!? And in truth, if we don't do something about it, then this same cycle will continue, perpetually! It won't stop if we don't so something about it.

Ecclesiastes 7:39 – “God made man simple: man’s complex problems are of his own devising.” (Jerusalem Bible)

At the core of our culture of busyness, is our reluctance to take a Sabbath rest. Perhaps it is because we are afraid to fall behind the racing pack, or we argue that we can't afford the time to recreate ourselves. However, in truth, we are harming ourselves in the long run. We are not able to perform at our peak, because our bodies and minds are exhausted. Our mental health has taken a hit and we are left fending off all kinds of demons in our minds. 

But God has already given us a remedy, but we don't think we need God's advice. We think we know better. We think that taking some time to rest is seen as a failure. However, the irony is that when we do take some time out or even a short holiday, we usually come back stronger, more focussed and more energised to do our work and to be present with our loved ones.

So, perhaps God knows best after all. It may be wise for us to listen to his advice. Our health depends on it. 

Mark 2:27 - Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

We need time to recharge the motors!

With all of the latest load-shedding (in South Africa) I have noticed that our gate motors don't have the necessary time to recharge their batteries. Previously, it would have been fine, but now that we are on level 6 load-shedding, there is no time for them to get back to full power.

The obvious connection with our emotion and spiritual batteries is there for us to note. If we don't take the time to recharge our batteries, we will eventually come to a stand still. Jesus reminds us all of this important principal when he takes time to rest and recharge.

Matthew 14:23 - After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone...

Living in Grace

D3LM3

P.S. I will be taking a few days to 'practise what I preach', so I won't be sharing blogs for a few days :) 

A New Yoke - what does this mean?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

I was reminded today that when Jesus offered for us to take his yoke upon ourselves it was a radical offer. We usually imagine the idea of two oxen ploughing the fields, under the same yoke - one of them being represented by us and the other by Christ. Jesus takes up the greater strain of the yoke and we are given a moment to rest.

However, there is another side to the illustration. Rabbi's also referred to the teaching of the law as a 'yoke.' And that when we chose to follow God, we lifted the yoke upon our shoulders and learnt the ways of God. However, this proved to be a burden for many people, as they felt the desperate weight of their sins and the bondage of the law. Jesus' invitation to a new 'yoke' is therefore an invitation to a new way of following God -the way of Love, Mercy and Grace. 

May the words of Matthew 11 bless you with freedom, rest and peace, today. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Why even bother with confession?

In reading Nehemiah 9 I noticed how the Israelites took their act of confession seriously. This got me thinking about how we treat the spiritual act of confessing our sins to God. Is there a point? Should we even bother? Then I stumbled upon these insightful words which offer us some guidance.

"TO CONFESS YOUR SINS TO GOD is not to tell God anything God doesn't already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the Golden Gate Bridge." - Frederick Buechner

When we live separate from the Lord we feel the great distance between us and it impacts upon our very being. Confessing our sins creates the bridge over which we can cross to encounter Grace.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Finding rest in love

"The soul is made of love and must ever strive to return to love. Therefore, it can never find rest nor happiness in other things. It must lose itself in love. By its very nature it must seek God, who is love." - Mechthild of Magdeburg

Mechthild's words sound a lot like the words of Augustine, who wrote nearly 9 Centuries before of the same rest we can only find in God: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” 

And of course, these words find root in the prayers of the Psalmist who expressed in Psalm 67:1 - "Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him."

May you find your rest in Jesus. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Taking refuge

Augustine wrote a beautiful prayer, which is recorded in a collection entitled Little Book of Prayers. I pass it onto you and pray that it may bless you today.

"Father, you are full of compassion, I commit and commend myself unto you, in whom I am,
and live, and know. Be the GOAL of my pilgrimage, and my REST by the way.
Let my soul take refuge from the crowding turmoil of worldly thoughts beneath the shadow of your wings; Let my heart, this sea of restless waves, find peace in you, O God. Amen."

Psalm 91:1 - Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

May you find your refuge in the shelter of the most high.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Come and rest

“Come now, insignificant man, fly for a moment from your affairs, escape for a little while from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside now your weighty cares and leave your wearisome toils. Abandon yourself for a little to God and rest for a little in Him.” - Anselm of Cantebury

This quote from Anselm reminds me of the words of Jesus, who understands all our pain and struggles, and invites us to rest in his love. Sometimes all we need is just a few moments to catch our breath and to know that God is with us. I think of Susanna Wesley who had to find time in her massive household of 10 kids to pray and find her peace - she used to sit in a certain chair and put her apron over her head. This was her way of letting her kids know that she was praying. 

We can all find these little moments - we just need to be intentional about it.

Matthew 11:28 - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Living in Grace

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“I believe in order that I may understand.” - Anslem of Cantebury

Sharpen your axe

"If the ax is dull

and its edge unsharpened,

more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success." -Ecclesiastes 10:10

This verse always reminds me of Stephen Covey's lovely story which speaks to us of  'sharpening the saw'. We often feel we don't have time to stop and get our 'tools' sharpened, but we then plod along using blunt tools to try and do an effective work. The time we take to pause to get things 'sharp' is well worth it in the long run. 

Jesus practiced this in his own life too. He took time to get his priorities straight and this made his ministry deeply profound and effective.

What are you doing to keep yourself sharp for the Lord?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Sabbath - Lenten reflection

Sometimes it is all about timing or as we like to call it "God-incidence."
I happen to be re-reading an incredible book called An Altar in the World (Barbara Brown Taylor) and on Day 1 of our Lockdown I started at the chapter entitled 'The practise of saying No.'

I am probably not going to do justice to her incredible wisdom, but I just love the way that Barbara shares her thoughts on Sabbath and entering into a time of Rest. Here are a few of her words:

"Sabbath is not only God's gift to those who have voices to say how tired they are; Sabbath is also God's gift to the tired fields, the tired vines, the tired land..."

"Sabbath is the great equalizer, the great reminder that we do not live on the earth but in it, and that everything we do under the warming tent of this planet's atmosphere affects all who are woven into this web with us."

"On this day we shall not do, but be.
We are to walk the path of our humanity, no longer ride unseeing through a world we do not touch and only vaguely sense.
No longer can we tear the world apart to make our fire..."

And then she shares the familiar words from Jesus in Matthew 6:

^"Look at the birds! They don’t worry about what to eat—they don’t need to sow or reap or store up food—for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. ²⁷ Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

Enjoy your rest during this time of Lockdown and pray for those who still have to work in order to keep us safe. 

Living in Grace
D3LM3

All I want is ...

 

Apparently when Dante turned up at the door of a Franciscan monastery a monk asked him what he wanted. Dante replied in one word - "PEACE!"

I think his desire is probably the desire of most people. What we wouldn't give for peace? Peace of mind. Peace in the world. Peace in our communities.

Lloyd John Ogilvie wrote: "Christ is peace. Christ is patience.

We could never produce these graces in our own strength in our own strength in the quantities they are needed in our families and our world. But we do have access to an unlimited stockpile of patience because the same Spirit that enable Christ is in us."

John 14:27 - “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The Beauty of your peace

“Drop your still dews of quietness

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our lives the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of your peace.” – J.G. Whittier

We all know that dew only falls after sunset – that during the night time, while the temperature is just right, droplets of water will form as dew on the earth. The busyness of the day and the heat of the sun are not conducive to the dew falling. 

And so it seems to make sense to me that ‘spiritual dew’ will only fall when my strivings cease and I rest in the shadow of the Almighty’s love. When I am at rest, then God pours out the dew of his grace.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Be still ... rest... Shalom

In his wonderful work Prayer, Richard Foster shares a lovely story of how God spoke to him during a Retreat he went on. He had gone away expecting to be busy preparing and working, but he felt the Spirit giving him a different agenda. He sensed that God wanted to teach him a new Sabbath Prayer.

As he drew closer to the Lord, he heard these words:
"Be still...
Rest...
Shalom."

And so he embraced these 3 thoughts and they were LIFE-GIVING. It is may prayer that they would offer you and I the same gift today. In the stress of your life, pray these words:

"Be still... Rest....Shalom."

Hebrews 4:9 - "A sabbath rest still remains for the people of God."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Non-performance in a Performance Driven World

Our world is mostly a DRIVEN world. We are driven to perform, to earn, to love, to produce, to keep up, to change, to invent, to DO. This has consumed us in such a radical way, that we don't know how to slow down any more. What is worse is that we now believe that God measures us according to this same standard. Yet, if we make a careful examination of the scriptures we will note that this is indeed NOT true. As Richard Rohr so rightly points out:
 
"Sabbath might be saying that at least one seventh of life must be about non-performance and non-egocentric pursuit, or we forget our life’s purpose." - Richard Rohr

What do you think of this?
How are you doing on this front?

Exodus 20:19-20 -  I myself am God, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws. Keep my Sabbaths as holy rest days, signposts between me and you, signalling that I am God, your God.”

Living in Grace
D3LM3