Great Expectations

by Brenda Williams

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, You must be holy because I am holy.

1 Peter 1:15-16†(NLT)

I have experienced God up close and personally -- there are so many times I’ve been aware of His presence and, while rare, there have actually been a couple of times I’ve known He was speaking directly to me. But lately there have been reminders that God has more in store for me, and more He expects from me.

Along with obedience, prayer, tithing and grace-giving, I am called to strive for purity and righteousness. To be like God. What a daunting prospect and so easy to sweep under the rug when tidying up my spiritual self! What does it mean to be holy? I think it starts with an understanding of God’s holiness.

God is our Creator, Father and Friend. But He is also unblemished, all powerful, awesome. Worthy of praise, even in the darkest hour. Why do I conveniently seek out His comfort and protection while overlooking His majesty and holiness? Maybe because it means I will have to face my own tarnished heart -- my UNholiness. I must pay attention to God’s demand that I become more like Him.

Father, come in and sweep clean the corners of my heart; forgive my unwillingness to face my unholiness. Help me strive to truly be like You. Amen.

The Path of The Storm

by Brenda Williams

“…He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

--Matthew 5:45b (NIV)

A dear friend who has been through a harrowing year recently confessed to me, “God must be really mad at me.” We both laughed, but I knew she was partly serious. As I write this, our community recovers from horrendous flooding; so many people have lost so much. I have to confess that if it were me, I would probably be thinking, What did I do to deserve this?

The truth is He did not promise a trouble-free, flood-free life. In fact, He promised there would be trouble, and that He would be our refuge and strength in the midst of it. There may be a reason for our troubles -- they are of our own making or for our growth -- or there may be no reason other than we were in the path of the storm.

Charles Spurgeon said, “He Who has fixed the bounds of our habitation has also fixed the bounds of our tribulation." God knows the extent of our suffering and knows what will come of it. As Author, Creator, Father and our Fortress, we can trust that His love is unwavering and turn to Him when the rains come.

Father, in troubled times, I want to trust that You are in control and that You are beside me. Amen.

Dust to Dust

by Billy Williams

Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris. Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust you shall return.

This Latin phrase is the loose translation of Genesis 3:19 where God tells Adam he will now face physical death as part of the punishment for the Fall. But there is more to this than just a limit being placed on our earthly days. It is at this point that God recreates our relationship with Him. Chardin says, "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, we are spiritual beings on a human journey." God is pointing out that until creation is set back in order we must remember that this earthly life is horizontal -- dust to dust. The life that matters is the one we live vertically -- spirit to spirit.

I spend a lot of time doing things in my life that only move me along the horizontal plane, sometimes forward, often backwards. What God wants from me are the things that move me to a higher elevation with Him -- prayer, praise, worship, meditation ... all the things a horizontal life seems to have no time for.

Heavenly Father, help me to look up for my strength. Place a vertical relationship drive in my heart. Teach me to live my life for You on both planes, that my day-to-day life would reflect You and that my spiritual life would rise to meet with You.

Street Corner Confession

by Brenda Williams

11 “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!”

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’” Luke 8:11, 13 (NLT)

I am someone who is very familiar with negative self-talk -- what woman doesn’t struggle with that voice in her head telling her she’s not spiritual enough, thin enough, organized enough, or is a horrible mother? I also struggle with the Pharisee attitude, I just don’t usually stand on a street corner to do it. Nope, it’s inside my head: Wow, these Hollywood types are really messed up. My friends are getting a divorce. Someone at church is not living the Christian life as I define it. I’m SO glad my child didn’t turn out like theirs.

According to Jesus, I am more likely to be reconciled with the Father if I have wandered far away, royally messed up and then truly laid my black heart out before Him, than if I live a churchgoing yet self-absorbed, smug existence. I will be justified in His eyes only if I learn from the outcast tax collector, who beat his chest in grief and shame and couldn’t even lift his eyes to heaven. I’m getting the message that instead of self worth, what I should be aiming for is self truth -- seeing myself as I really am in the eyes of The One Who Matters, asking forgiveness, and doing what it takes to make sure His heart and mine are united.

Father, I am no better than anyone else out there in Your world. Please help me to daily seek your forgiveness and grace and to look to You for the true understanding of who I am.

Drowning with Land in Sight

by Billy Williams

Mark 4:38, 40 (NLT)

38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

⁴⁰Jesus asked his disciples, "Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?"

I wish I could say the title to this post was original; actually I lifted it from an album by the 77's. If you have never heard the 77's you have not yet lived. I have walked with Christ since I was a sophomore in high school and many times felt like I was drowning with land in sight while Jesus slept in the boat. I think we read this passage with a prejudice against the disciples. Silly men, that is Christ in the boat with you - how dare you have no faith? But consider this: at that point they were living without the benefit of knowing the end of the story...like we do. How would I have fared in this situation? Remember these were fishermen, they lived on the sea and knew that water well. It must have been a pretty big storm to rattle them.

The story I see here is still played out every day in my own life. Sometimes I fail to see the big picture. I think Jesus was in the boat asleep because He knew that nothing could keep Him from fulfilling his mission. Maybe the disciples should have followed His example and taken a nap while enjoying the ride. The question He posed wasn't so much "Do you really think I would let you drown?" as much as it was "Do you not trust God to fulfill His mission in you?" I have to keep in mind that even if I feel I am drowning with land is sight, God sees the bigger picture and will always make good His plan.

Jesus, let me rest in the knowledge that You have a plan for my life that will not be altered by storms.

Practice Makes Better (Not Perfect)

by Brenda Williams

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

--Philippians 4:9 (NLT)

I think I’ve stumbled onto a hard truth. Well, more like eased into it. After struggling with my own lack of discipline and asking God WHY I don’t have a desire to open His Word and spend time with Him in prayer … after hearing my pastor over and over again talk about "advanced decision-making" and choosing to do the hard things … after facing my own laziness and then finally sitting down and making myself actually read the Bible and spend time in prayer and reflection … I might finally have it.

It stands to reason that when something doesn't come naturally (and maybe even when it does), you have to practice to become good at it and then to stay good at it. And if you don’t, your lack of benefit and enjoyment are your own fault. Reading Paul’s words here in a new way made me realize this truth also applies to the things of faith. I'm reminded of the quote from one of my favorite “chick” movies, Pride and Prejudice, when Eliza Bennett admonishes Mr. Darcy for claiming to not have a talent for conversation and compares it to her own lack of skill on the piano: “…I have always supposed it to be my own fault," she said, " because I would not take the trouble of practising.”

So I need to own up to the fact that it is my own fault. No wonder I struggle to enjoy my quiet time and grow in my faith. How can I? I am not investing in it!

Father, forgive my lack of discipline. Strengthen my determination to invest my time and my heart in the practice of my faith. Help me direct my mind to thoughts of the good, righteous, true and lovely, and let me reap the benefits of your peace and presence. Amen.

The Act of Believing

“She worshiped God, and he opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.“ Acts 16:14 (NCV)

by Brenda Williams

The act of worship and belief are described so simply and seem so easy for those people I read about in God’s pages. She worshiped. He opened her mind. Is it really that simple? Why is there struggle for me, even today?

In my youth it was easy to believe in something -- the magic of Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, that my eyes would stay crossed if I kept “doing that,” or even that Jesus had been born as a baby, came to earth, died for my sins and would someday take me to live with him in heaven. One by one my childhood beliefs were challenged and of course, some fell by the wayside. As I grew, that made it harder to actually put my whole heart, faith and trust even in things my mind knows are true. My point being that my belief in Christ today is a different kind of belief.

Speaking as someone who has actually “heard” God’s voice saying something specific to me (not once, but twice), you would think experiencing God at that level would permanently erase all doubts. It has … but it also left me to wonder and worry why I don’t experience Him that way all the time. Why it is so hard to worship and focus and praise and read my Bible? Why is it so hard to believe that the good news of the Bible really applies to me? Why wasn’t I given the gift of belief, if such a gift exists?

The act of believing takes some willpower! I find I have to remind myself of God’s grace and mercy every day; actually, every minute. So it’s not the same as when I was a child, but it’s where I am now and I DO believe that God knows where I am and is right here with me.

Lord, I believe You are with me, even in the midst of my daily struggles to believe and apply your word. I believe in You; help me in my unbelief. Amen.