Heartbreak

The other day I had one of those no good, terrible, horrible, very bad days.  You know the type - you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, the world is clearly out to get you, and nothing goes the way it should.  Oh, and it rains.

Luckily, the Lord reminded me of  one of my favorite worship songs, Hosanna by Hillsong.  In the bridge, the lyrics call to the Lord to "break my heart for what breaks Yours" and it occurred to me that my heart was "breaking" for some very silly, worldly things.

God's heart breaks for the lost, for the suffering, the hopeless, the despairing, those who wander from Him, orphans, widows, the persecuted and oppressed...I could go on and on.

Lately my heart has broken for...the breakouts on my skin, my frizzy hair, the way my time is "wasted" in traffic, my lack of sleep...and countless other selfish, vain causes.

Clearly there's a disconnect somewhere.  My heart has been so focused on my personal life, my present circumstances, my desires and ambitions, and my vanity, that I've pushed God's heart to the side, intent on satisfying mine instead.  It's completely backward!  Paul has left us a pointed reminder in 2 Corinthians 10:5:

"We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

Let's take this beyond coffee.  Are your thoughts captive or are they captivated by the world?  Is your heart broken as the Lord's is or are you, like me, allowing the strings of your heart to be pulled by things of earth?  Let your heart strings be pulled by, and broken for, the things that break the heart of God.

Harsh Reality

My husband and I have been working our way through the book of Psalms.  After more than a year, we finally made it to Psalm 109 a few weeks ago and, let me tell ya, it's a doozey.  If you're not familiar with Psalm 109, take a moment to read through it. 

My initial reaction was Wow.  Um, isn't this kinda harsh?  My very basic summary? David is being falsely accused of something and prays that his accusers will die...give or take a few verses.  He calls for some serious judgement upon them:

"When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let his prayer be sin.  Let his days be few.  Let another take his office.  Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.  Let his children wander about and beg; and let them seek sustenance far from their ruined homes" (vs. 7-10)

The commentator for the ESV Study Bible points out that, in this particular psalm, King David is proclaiming himself innocent of the accusations against him.  David then calls upon and rests in the Lord's steadfast love to deliver him from his accusers (vs. 21).

Now, if an unbeliever were to read this psalm they would be outraged.  Truthfully, I'm a little appalled myself.  David comes across as this self-righteous, arrogant guy who has the gall to ask God to totally blot his accusers out from the earth.  I mean, seriously.  That's not very...um, nice, is it?

It just seems harsh.  The way that David talks about his accusers and then calls on the Lord to help him (and come on, David wasn't perfect!) - it offends my delicate sensitivities.

The irony is, I'm offended not by the sin of David's accusers but by the seemingly extreme penalty for their sin.

Now there's a thought.

Who is the Lord?  He is a righteous judge, good and perfect.  Being perfectly good and righteous and just, He is compelled to demand payment for our sin.  If He didn't He would be neither just nor righteous.  Who are we but offenders of this Most High God, in debt to His Holiness.

David may or may not have been totally innocent here...but his sins were paid for in blood, as were mine.  We both were blessed that the blood shed was not our own.  David's accusers?  Clearly they chose to bear the cost themselves.  And what a cost it is.

Isn't the truth that we all deserve the same fate?  And were it not for the unfathomable grace of God, we would share it.

Welcome to Moving Beyond Coffee...

If you're anything like me, then maybe you've found yourself having what I like to call 'coffee-flavored epiphanies'. You know those moments - when you're sitting in your favorite coffee shop or cafe, bent over your journal or Bible, or perhaps engaged in a great conversation with a fellow believer, feeling a sweet conviction of the Holy Spirit and the encouragement of the Lord as He beckons you to return to Him. Ah...it's so inspiring. You get up, discard your empty cups and napkins, maybe the paper you were doodling on, and the several packs of sugar you used to sweeten your brew, and head out the door, returning to life with a fresh perspective. A mere minute or two pass and, before you know it, your Lord has been left behind in the shop, and you've returned to life without Him.

I want those moments, those 'epiphanies', to play a more central role in my life. I want them to continue to affect my thoughts, actions, and my relationship with the Lord, once I've left the shop. And if you're anything like me, then this place is for you.