"Come to Me, all you who are weary & burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28
Do you often take time to ponder? Many of us, myself very much included, don't take much time on a daily basis to ponder. However, I have found the need to focus on pondering more...especially when it is a prayerful ponder (ie a prayer or conversation with God, considering His Truth, His Word, and/or the notions His Spirit is revealing at any given moment). Prayerful pondering is the gift of an opportunity to commune with God & take a moment to stop & listen to His still, small voice. Prayerful pondering is an opportunity that will bless our souls. I have found there to be nothing more soul-fulfilling than those moments with God, in the quiet and still of the morning, when I can come before Him and prayerfully ponder the Truths He has been busy revealing. If I simply stop and bend an ear, and take a moment to commune with Him, He is faithful to meet with me right where I am & bless my soul.
This season in the Basement (as we transition from our move from Tx to settling into CO) has led itself into one of such opportunities. It has been a busy, active, FULL season...one in which our entire family has enjoyed the blessing of a smooth transition in all areas of life. However, it has also been a season rich with lessons, dependance upon God, healing, and faithfully learning what Jesus meant with His words, "Come to Me..." Had I not stopped to ponder, my soul would have missed some of the depth, beauty, and Truth of such lessons...and my soul would, no doubt, still be wounded, as only circumstances in life can come before us & wound. I am so thankful for the gift that God gave me in speaking to my heart and laying the word "ponder" on my heart. I am so thankful for how He has revealed Himself through this season of transition & that I have taken time to ponder His Truths.
What are some of those Truths? Well, I hope to share those with you below. I pray it brings encouragement and glory to Him and will encourage you to draw near to Him, ponder His ways & His Truth, and, in His strength, move forward in applying His Truth to your life, as well. It is such a joy to walk with Him during this gift of life on earth that He has blessed us with!
First & foremost, I have been learning what it means & looks like to truly depend on God. I have been learning to actively grow in dependence upon Him in daily living (oh, do I still have a long way to go!). I have come to truly understand that the one goal in life & the one thing in life (of most importance) is to KNOW Jesus. Even when circumstances come along that will try to distract/draw & pull me away, if I stay focused on the goal of knowing Him & persevere through any of the doubt/uncertainty life brings, I will be blessed. He is our Immanuel, our "God with us" (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14) & He is faithful to walk through any & all situations with us. My joy is found when I continually seek Him first, rise up in His strength, and continue to use experiences (in life and with Him) to propel forward. For, when I continue to open my Bible & seek Him, the breath of God is on my face. It is such a reassuring reminder to me to remember how the Bible is a love letter from our Creator. It is inspired & written by the One who made me. When I encounter Him in His Word, He puts life in the right persepective. He is always faithful to reveal Himself and how He truly is our Immanuel.
With this understood Truth, though, I am left to ponder before Him and question, "What is it that keeps me blinded to His glorious beauty?" This is a question that I have come to realize that I need to continually bring before Him. It is a daily reminder of a question to ask of Him so He can continue to reveal where I am blinded by selfishness, indifference, hurt, emotion, or pride (all sin) & not able to see His glorious beauty. It is then that the Truth of the lesson of confession comes into play and I realize that through confession and forgiveness, the blinders are removed and He comes into focus...in all of His glorious Light.
During this season in the basement, I have learned that it truly is a choice whether to live overwhelmed by life's circumstances or to live life in worship to our One True God. It is choice to be consumed by my own worry, anxiety, & pain or to give of my time & energy seeking Him, confessing & turning to Him, sharing all life's burdens with Him, and thus living an over-joyed life in Him. If I need a tangible reminder of what this looks like, then all I need to do is turn to the pages of Matthew 1 and read the account of the Magi coming to worship the infant baby Jesus.
First & foremost, I have been learning what it means & looks like to truly depend on God. I have been learning to actively grow in dependence upon Him in daily living (oh, do I still have a long way to go!). I have come to truly understand that the one goal in life & the one thing in life (of most importance) is to KNOW Jesus. Even when circumstances come along that will try to distract/draw & pull me away, if I stay focused on the goal of knowing Him & persevere through any of the doubt/uncertainty life brings, I will be blessed. He is our Immanuel, our "God with us" (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14) & He is faithful to walk through any & all situations with us. My joy is found when I continually seek Him first, rise up in His strength, and continue to use experiences (in life and with Him) to propel forward. For, when I continue to open my Bible & seek Him, the breath of God is on my face. It is such a reassuring reminder to me to remember how the Bible is a love letter from our Creator. It is inspired & written by the One who made me. When I encounter Him in His Word, He puts life in the right persepective. He is always faithful to reveal Himself and how He truly is our Immanuel.
With this understood Truth, though, I am left to ponder before Him and question, "What is it that keeps me blinded to His glorious beauty?" This is a question that I have come to realize that I need to continually bring before Him. It is a daily reminder of a question to ask of Him so He can continue to reveal where I am blinded by selfishness, indifference, hurt, emotion, or pride (all sin) & not able to see His glorious beauty. It is then that the Truth of the lesson of confession comes into play and I realize that through confession and forgiveness, the blinders are removed and He comes into focus...in all of His glorious Light.
During this season in the basement, I have learned that it truly is a choice whether to live overwhelmed by life's circumstances or to live life in worship to our One True God. It is choice to be consumed by my own worry, anxiety, & pain or to give of my time & energy seeking Him, confessing & turning to Him, sharing all life's burdens with Him, and thus living an over-joyed life in Him. If I need a tangible reminder of what this looks like, then all I need to do is turn to the pages of Matthew 1 and read the account of the Magi coming to worship the infant baby Jesus.
"To the extent that I respond to Jesus & worship Him in complete surrender, my joy will be like that of Magi."
(Page 4, Lesson 2 BSF Notes, Matthew 1)
Completely surrendering and depending solely on Him is a goal. To live life with a thankful and praising heart is a goal. I can only do these things in His strength and upon surrendering all to Him, depending on Him solely. I must allow Him in, & seek/invite Him to be at work in my heart. I must allow Him to disciple me. I have learned how, that in order to turn my eyes upon Jesus, I need to remember how He invites me to simple "Come":
- Come & trust Me, Stacy
- Come & draw near, get to know Me deeper, Stacy
- Come and know Me in a more intimate & personal way, Stacy
- Come deeper in relationship with Me, Stacy
- I am loved by God
- I am chosen by God
- I am forgiven by God
With this confession, I am reminded of John the Baptist and his one central message in the Gospels. "John had one message...to repent & turn to God. Where selfishness once ruled, generosity must replace greed---honesty must replace shrewdness---self-control & trust in God replace the determination to control my own situation & others." (BSF Notes Lesson 3, pg 4, Matthew 3:2 & 6) Simply put, all people need to confess & repent. Coming before Him daily in confession is central to living a life that allows Him to disciple & transform. "Discipleship is found in continually taking the daily details to Him and surrendering it all." (Karen Swanson, BSF TL, Matt 8:1-34) Yet another lesson I am striving to learn as I daily come to Him.
An additional lesson God has been teaching (and I have been striving to learn) regards temptation. Oh, how I have been tempted these past few months to step outside of God's timing and buy a house before it was time! Encouraged in "manly" thinking that "we could make it work" (financially) & that "He has brought us this far...surely He will provide" (testing Him). Thankfully, He walked closely with me in this and brought the passage in Matthew 4 of Jesus' temptation by the devil into my line of vision & my heart's focus.
I learned, from the devil's first question of temptation toward Jesus, that there is a subtle suggestion to be tempted to think God is not there nor that He cares. As one looks at the passage, one can see that Jesus responds by waiting, trusting, & standing firm on the Word of God to resist temptation. We, as Christians, are called to follow the same example. "God's promises give power to overcome temptation." (BSF Notes Lesson 4, pg 4, Matt 4:2-4) If I am to put this Truth into action & apply it to my life, I need to answer the following question in regards to specific temptation: "What are some scriptural verses to go along with rebuking temptation in my life?" I found 1 Samuel 7:12 & Mathew 7: 11 to be my guide & strength to stand firm against temptation regarding patiently waiting in His timing for the provision of a new home, & trusting He would be faithful to provide. Afterall, He didn't bring us this far (to CO) to not provide for us fully & it became abundantly clear that I simply must have additional lessons to learn during this season of transition!
“Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
1 Samuel 7:12
"If
you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! "
Matthew 7:11
Lord, I cry out...Your will, not mine...nothing more, nothing less! Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me!
One of the most significant lessons I have learned while here in the "season of the basement" & depending on God & others lies in reconciliation.
"Reconciliation is God's prescription for relationship repairs & how we get rid of murderous anger."
(Karen Swanson, TL BSF Ft Collins)
Wounds can run deep, and my personality is such that I have a tendency to hang onto those wounds for far too long. The last seven years in ministry have been wrought with challenges, difficulty, burdens, drama, & overall hardship. Yes, there was good & spiritual growth wrapped up in it all, but these last few months have definitely opened my eyes to the repercussions & reconciliation to much of the hard stuff we walked through. God has been showing me how to "Come to Him" with any & all wounds, and He will take on the burden. He will heal. He will be faithful to comfort, as long as I "come to Him" with it all, and I release it all to Him.
"Am I holding onto anger? Confess sin of unrighteous anger to God---then submit to Holy Spirit---who will replace that darkness with love, joy, and peace."
(BSF Notes Lesson 6, pg 5, Matt 5:17-48)
After much prayer, God answered what it looked like on my part to reconcile, especially in the area of one specific relationship. He showed me, through His Son, how to extend mercy & forgiveness. Upon confession of unrighteous anger & submitting to His Spirit, He indeed replaced those dark areas with love, joy, & peace. He is faithful and He has done a transforming work in my heart. Praise be to God!
Yet another area God has speaking into my life about regards prayer. "There is an expectation of prayer as a follower of Christ & there is a secret place of prayer where He invites us to commune with Him in an intimate relationship. All we need to do is be direct & simple...pray from a pure heart." (Karen Swanson, TL BSF Ft Collins, Matt 6) Once again I am reminded how God is calling me to "come to Him"...lean into Him & depend on Him...allow Him to sustain in all things.
Recognizing this lack of dependency in my life begs me to ask, "Whom do I serve? Who truly owns me? Does money in our bank account control me? When did I last rely on Christ & His power to release me from the pull of material things & the need for security?" (BSF Notes Lesson 7, pg 6, Matt 6)
This question alone begs me to examine my attitude. Do I worry or do I trust? I have heard it be said that, "You don't believe if you're busy worrying...believe & let go!" How I long to be a true follower of Christ that humbly relies on Him & lovingly relates to others! How I long to focus on Him, and Him alone, thus turning all worry into worship!
Sigh...another key lesson revolves around judgment and criticism. Oh how this continues to be a transforming work God is doing on my heart! For, as it has been said, we are our own worst critic, right? This season has opened my eyes to how readily & subtly criticism has been allowed to creep into my heart and thoughts. It breaks my heart, for, never to do I wish to wound anyone with critical words, and have them experience the pain I have experienced at the expense of criticism. For, you see, "when we are critical, we become unloving. It's easy to draw wrong conclusions about others...we need to strive to understand their difficulties and refuse to criticize in our own minds. Christians are
commanded to stop inspecting and start introspecting." (Karen Swanson, BSF TL, Matt 7:1-27)
What a tangible reminder these words have been for me, and what a healing balm to my heart as I come to Him with this burden. Oh how I need to look deep within myself when I find the threat & temptation of judgment or criticism coming on...and how I need to respond to others in love & understanding. May I seek to remember the beautiful words & message from Hosea 6:6 that focus on caring about people and relationships, making them of utmost importance (next to Jesus), & to be loving & compassionate...not focused on anything less.
commanded to stop inspecting and start introspecting." (Karen Swanson, BSF TL, Matt 7:1-27)
What a tangible reminder these words have been for me, and what a healing balm to my heart as I come to Him with this burden. Oh how I need to look deep within myself when I find the threat & temptation of judgment or criticism coming on...and how I need to respond to others in love & understanding. May I seek to remember the beautiful words & message from Hosea 6:6 that focus on caring about people and relationships, making them of utmost importance (next to Jesus), & to be loving & compassionate...not focused on anything less.
"Judging never encourages...it does not look for or appreciate the good a person may do...often when we do not love a person, we withold sympathetic understanding of that person."
(BSF Notes Lesson 8, pg 1, Matt 7:1-27)
During this season of healing, after years of difficult & challenging times in ministry, child-rearing, challenges in marriage, etc, may I cling to Him with all I have and allow Him to examine my heart's attitude...transform me, Father. Create in me a clean heart, oh my God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10-11, Stacy's version)
Within all of this realization also lies a heart of unyielding or inability to recognize certain details within my own self. How often do I struggle with even acknowledging my own need and then bring it to Jesus? Often-times, too much. Oh how I admire the leper in Matt 8:1-4 who "acknowledges His need, trusted in Jesus, & worshiped Him." (BSF Notes Lesson 9, pg 2) May I become more aware of my own need for Jesus and have there be more of Him in my life and less of me.
Lastly, one of the most powerful & beautiful realizations God has revealed through this current study of the book of Matthew is the gift of how this season in the basement has been a "training mission." From Matthew 10, we see Jesus instruct and send out His disciples:
"Jesus instructed His apostles to have no concern about their own needs...on this training mission they were to go in faith & learn to trust God to provide. Jesus expected teh people who benefitted from the apostles work to house & feed them."
(BSF Notes Lesson 11, pg 3, Matt 10:8b-16)
This season in the basement has been our "training mission." We have stepped out in faith (from Tx) & into a blessed time to grow deeper in faith, trust God for provisions, and grow our dependence upon Him and Him alone. In return, we have been gifted with the beautiful joy of witnessing how His people come together to care for us, love on us, and provide for our very physical needs. How humbling to be a witness and recipient of all this! How beautiful of our Lord to provide the perfect dwelling for us, with the most gracious of families, & to have visibly protected us from so many catastrophes (ie flooding, financial duress, etc) as He has navigated the way to bring us here to this basement in CO.
So, in the future, "when doubt & confusion cripple my faith, I/we must go to Jesus, or we will go deeper & deeper into darkness & despair. We are to do same as John the Baptist & bring all to Jesus...remember who God is & reflect on His character &/or attributes."
(Karen Swanson, BSF TL, Matt 11-12)
May I remember to "Come to Him...", hang onto His Truth, His Word, and onto faith to find healing and guidance in navigating through future doubt/confusion/etc.
"Nothing creates faith & dispels doubt so much as to come to God Himself by personally reading the Bible...will I choose to trust God in my situation(s)? God, & God alone, can bring great fruit from great heartache."
(BSF Notes Lesson 12, pg 2, Matt 11:4-6)
Yes, Lord. Yes, I will come to You. I will seek You first (Matt 6:33) & I will bend deeply into You as I endure, persevere, and grow in faith. I will come to You
- with all heart-ache
- with all doubts
- with all burdens
I praise you, Father. How I thank you for all you have been teaching/revealing/growing us during this season of provision in the basement. Our hearts overflow with thankful gratitude. We are thankful for your tender provision of all things: for the way You alone have grown each of the girls in health & maturity, renewed their joy & desire to seek You, for the smooth transition in schooling, making friends, etc...for the families you have introduced us to and the way You have brought us all together to help one another, encourage one another, & to simply "do" life together through Your blessed & loving example.
What a joy it is to walk in Your ways, to be in Your will, and bask in Your presence! Thank you, Lord, for this season of TLC & how, through this time of pondering, You have comforted and been at work in healing my heart, watering my soul, and restoring my joy to be in service to You & You alone.
Amen
