His Glory = Our Pleasure

Why does God want to be glorified? It is perhaps a strange question. He is of course not insecure or needy. He is not competing with some other god who might win in the end. Why does He want to be glorifed through our lives? What motivates Him? Of course, He is absolutely worthy, but why does He desire it (Isaiah 48:11) if He doesn't need it? If I miss something important in my disjointed ramblings, feel free to share your thoughts. : )

At various times the last few months, I have been contemplating the Christian life and how it connects to what is going on in God's thoughts. The world is really messed up by sin and its consequences. In contrast to His foresight, unchanging character, and power over all things, we are affected and we change and we can't see beyond today. Why does He choose to use such a life on the earth to draw attention and glory to Himself?

I love where God has me, because I trust His intentions for me, but I also feel God's stretching and molding, with the stark disappointments and gentle sorrows that accompany the seasons of every person's life. As a believer, I understand that even happy times are not ultimately satisfying. Yet there is a safety in knowing that God is there either way. Maybe that's the point: living life for God's glory forces me to cling to Him, and I know Him, my true source of satisfaction, better that way.

"You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing." (Psalm 145:16)

Philippians 3 also has a lot to say about the connections between knowing Christ and living life well. To know Him is to take on His righteousness, take on His sufferings, take on expectation for what is to come.

A particular article answered some of those questions for me about how it all works together. One thought from the author summarizes the rest: "His aim to bring praise to himself and his aim to bring pleasure to his people are one aim and stand or fall together." Piper talks about how God seeks to bring glory to Himself, not because He needs us, but because we need Him.

In further linked articles, I re-learned that it is such a loving thing that He does for us, to pull us outside of ourselves, outside of our self-centeredness, to focus on something worth focusing on. And therein lie true joy and satisfaction. There is also wonderful application to every one of our human relationships:

The love of God is not God's making much of us, but God's saving us from self-centeredness so that we can enjoy making much of him forever. And our love to others is not our making much of them, but helping them to find satisfaction in making much of God. True love aims at satisfying people in the glory of God. Any love that terminates on man is eventually destructive. It does not lead people to the only lasting joy, namely, God. Love must be God-centered, or it is not true love; it leaves people without their final hope of joy.

In conclusion, one reason God wants to be glorified through our lives is because in that process we and others come to know Him better. To have our attention on the only One who is worthy is to find our deepest needs met and to experience the pleasure of relationship with Him.

Jesus Christ Is...

Revelation 1 describes Jesus Christ as I sometimes forget to think of Him.
(The idea of Him in my mind tends to be much smaller, and centers around my personal spiritual growth.)

He is so far above us and in control, so much greater than any other power or authority we might fear, nothing can touch Him, and yet He draws near to us!

One like the Son of Man,

clothed with a garment down to the feet

and girded about the chest with a golden band.

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow,

and His eyes like a flame of fire;

His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace,

and His voice as the sound of many waters;

He had in His right hand seven stars,

out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,

and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.

But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,

"Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

"I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.

And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Did You Know

Today is National Punctuation Day.

In honor of said day:

(from this blog)

I just want to know who thought of a National Punctuation Day. It seems a bit much.

Of course punctuation is important for clear communication, and as a girl who often can't express myself clearly to save my life, I need all the help I can get. : )

A Study of The Helper

While sitting in my classroom at school, I sometimes hear from down the hall or outside my door: "walk down the hallway to the focus room or I will help you" (read: drag/carry you). This is sometimes accompanied by shrieking, sobbing, or screaming. : )

I need help. Breathtakingly wonderful is the fact that God, all-powerful and omniscient and sovereign and immutable, has proclaimed Himself my helper. Not "He'll help you if you can't do it yourself" but "He is my help."

But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance.
Psalm 22:19

Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my helper.
Psalm 30:10

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 42:11

Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.
Psalm 44:26

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
Psalm 54:4

For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
Psalm 63:7

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD;
He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:11

Psalm 146 is titled "The Lord an Abundant Helper".

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
that He may be with you forever.
John 14:16

He was David's Helper, and He is my Helper.
A gracious helper, a loving helper, an abundant helper.
God is a joy-giving helper, a protecting helper,
a present helper, a sustaining helper.

Lord, thank you.

Hehe

We Are a Eugenic Society

The Chromosomal Barrier
(written by Carolyn McCulley, solofemininity.blogs.com)

It's been an incredibly hectic week -- with a busy, potentially hurricane-soaked weekend ahead. But despite the many distractions, I kept thinking about two pieces I read in yesterday's Washington Post. The first was about how Trig Palin is helping to break "the chromosomal barrier." As columnist Michael Gerson noted, Trig was another first in this history-making presidential campaign.

In addition to Barack Obama making history as the first African American to be nominated for president and Sarah Palin taking her shotgun to the glass ceiling, there was a third civil rights barrier broken at the political conventions this year.

Trig Paxson Van Palin -- pronounced by his mother "beautiful" and "perfect" and applauded at center stage of the Republican convention -- smashed the chromosomal barrier. And it was all the more moving for the innocence and indifference of this 4-month-old civil rights leader...

...Trig's moment in the spotlight is a milestone of that movement. But it comes at a paradoxical time. Unlike what is accorded African Americans and women, civil rights protections for people with Down syndrome have rapidly eroded over the past few decades. Of the cases of Down syndrome diagnosed by prenatal testing each year, about 90 percent are eliminated by abortion...

(for entire article: solofemininity.blogs.com/posts/2008/09/the-chromosomal-barrier.html)

Fellowship

During some lovely hours at Starbucks this evening, of thinking and praying and drinking coffee, I was thinking about the importance of integrity in my life and heart and came to Psalm 15. Verses one and two as applied to a New Testament believer seem to coincide with the concept of fellowship with and knowing God.

O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?

These thoughts in reference to verse one are from the Treasury of David commentary:

...truly humbled souls often shrink under a sense of utter unworthiness, and would not dare to approach the throne of the God of holiness if it were not for him, our Lord, our Advocate, who can abide in the heavenly temple, because his righteousness endureth for ever.

We have that access through Christ. And that salvation provides for and reaches into our every day living. Verse two:

He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart.

Speaks truth in his heart... I was reminded that much of the battle for integrity and truth starts in my mind. There are plenty of ways to speak things other than truth to my heart...self-pitying, what-ifs, if onlys, rationalization, prideful fearings and musings, anxious ponderings.

May I spend more time instead speaking the truth of God's word to my heart... and cooperate with the process of growth that He is taking me through...letting him develop these characteristics in me that I could never muster up in myself.

Recommendation

If you are a college student or in your twenties, if you like reading, I want to highly recommend boundless.org

Intelligent and Biblically solid authors offer thoughtful articles about Biblical manhood and womanhood, college, career, singleness and marriage, living well before God in either of those states, church and body life, faith, culture, politics, etc.

For a variety of good perspectives, read the ones that catch your attention, follow the links at the bottom to related articles. Agree, disagree, enjoy.



For a list of topics: http://www.boundless.org/bestof/

Just for Fun

Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling. From glen to glen, and down the mountain side...



I like how the first guy is unintelligible, the second guy messes up the rhythm of the song, and the third guy is called beeker (my nickname off and on the last seven or eight years!). I've always liked the muppets. : )

Encouragement

God has been sending special moments of encouragement my way through my job. The other day I got to talk to another teacher whom I discovered is vaguely associated with CBC and believes much the same I do.

Today I spent some time being trained by another woman who mentioned the Baptist church she attends. It was encouraging to hear her endorsement of the discipline/intervention system I am working through with kids. She was excited about the opportunity to influence the lives of children even though I can't really share my personal beliefs.

Of course I enjoy getting to know others who have different background/worldviews than I, but sometimes it's nice to have a moment of familiarity.

It has been fun to work a little bit with the two ladies in the front office, which is right around the corner from my room. They are so funny and very gracious to answer all my questions and teach me all the procedures and protocall of the school. There are also so many other quality teachers/administrators/faculty that are teaching me lessons about working with children, handling different types of situations, etc., as I watch them interact with their students. They are wonderful people.

It is an exciting learning experience, and I know at this time in my life that this is where God wants me to be!

Laughter

On a day such as this, I look for ways to laugh. : ) I know that God is sufficient for my emotional, material, etc. needs, but I think He gives us the ability to find humor in life. It lifts our spirits and lightens our hearts.

I love to laugh. The way words can be perfectly combined with a facial expression, causing a reaction in us, is fascinating to me. And enjoying humor brings some balance to my introspective tendencies. : ) I especially love things like dry humor, sarcasm, and anecdotes.

Here is a true story from RD to bring a little laugh, or perhaps only a quick eye roll and a sigh, into your afternoon. : )

We rushed our four-year-old son, Ben, to the emergency room with a terrible cough, high fever, and vomiting. The doctor did an exam, then asked Ben what bothered him the most. After thinking it over, Ben said hoarsely, "I would have to say my little sister."

There. I'm smiling again. I like the joke, yeah, but I'm also thinking about who God is and how much He loves me. : )