HE Is Enough!

So often I can get so caught up in everyday life and my own self-absorption that it takes God's rod of discipline to bring me back into a right relationship. Thankfully, like any loving parent does, He gives me warning when He sees wickedness creep up in my heart. Life is not about furnishing my home, or clothing my children, or having time to myself, or even getting laundry done.

Life is about glorifying the Father.

If I were stripped down as Job was, my response should be the same as his was, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!"

It is amazing how God will use different things in your life to remind you of the same truth. He is gently reminding me that I exist to glorify Him! Nothing in this life will make my joy complete, in His presence there is fullness of joy!

My life should be a mirror of Christ, loving what He loves and hating what He hates.

Far too often my passion for eternal things doesn't get far past indulging my own thirst for the scripture. I kid myself if I think that feeding my own soul is what God requires. Yes, it is important, but what about looking beyond my own soul, even the souls of my family, to those who desperately need the gospel. Not what America has concocted as the gospel, but the true Word.

I make idols out of so many things (everything really). As John Calvin said, "Our hearts are idol making factories." May God burn down the factories in my heart and may I only cling to him.

Last night Alex read to Sterling how Jesus turned over the tables in the temple. I love the way his children's Bible told the story (it definitely got to the point). It says, "[What they were doing] made Jesus so angry, He did something about it." The pictures in this Bible are excellent and one of them shows Jesus with a whip driving out the oxen. His face isn't mild Jesus gazing into heaven holding a lamb, but Jesus with his sleeves rolled up and tussled hair and angry eyes. He has passion for God's holiness.

That is the kind of passion He wants in us. Hillary posted a video on her blog today (click here to watch) on the prosperity gospel. Thanks Hill for the reminder that there are so many in our country and around the world who have been duped into believing that God is here to fill their pockets. May we fight against this antigospel with the passion of Christ by proclaiming the truth to the corners of the earth.

May Christ drive out the idols in us, His temple, just as he did in Jeruselam. May our hearts be reminded God is on His throne when we have nothing, as well as when we are blessed by worldly standards. And may our hearts beat as his for this lost and dying world.