house of God, forever

In recent days, I have found myself returning again and again to Psalm 23. As one of the better known Psalms, if not the best known, I usually focus my attention elsewhere. Selfishly, I prefer to dig a little more,  looking for nuggets of wisdom that are not so common, and therefore less likely to be displayed in needlepoint on the wall of someone's dining room (My apologies if this is the case at your house). But this week, it has caught my eye and my heart in a variety of ways.

I came across it while searching out another specific verse that I couldn't quite remember the location of. Then sitting my car, I saw a quick note I had written in my small car/travel Bible that reminded me of witnessing nearly a thousand Chinese Christians recite this verse (in Chinese) this past summer during my 10-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai. This stirred a great deal of memory and emotion that I had let slip in the 8 months since I returned. Yesterday, sitting in a coffee shop, I heard Jon Foreman's song "House of God, Forever" come on my iTunes. Although I may write more later about the Psalm itself, it is this song where I want to park for now.

This song is a simple acoustic retelling of Psalm 23. Foreman doesn't add to or take anything away from the Scripture itself. He just sings with pure faith, hope, and love that the words are true. My favorite thing about the song itself, however, is that it is sung twice, once each by a man and a woman. There is intense beauty in this arrangement, as each voice professes theses words to their Maker individually. It demonstrates that King David's profession of joyful trust is accessible for all of us whoever and wherever we find ourselves. And as the voices join one another for the final refrain, there is a strong sense of shared trust in the Lord's direction and provision for their lives.

"House of God, Forever" by Jon Foreman
God is my shepherd
I won't be wanting
I won't be wanting
He makes me rest
In fields of green
With quite streams
Even though I walk
Through the valley
Of death and dying
I will not fear
'Cause you are with me
You are with me

Your shepherd staff
Comforts me
You are my feast
In the presence of enemy
Surely goodness
Follow me
Follow me
In the house of God, forever

words that got me today

From Chris Tomlin's song "Enough"

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can say
You are more than enough for me

Lately I've been struggling with what I want and what I need. It seems that what I know, or think I know, is being questioned and it's been a challenge to find the words to express my feelings. Still, it is true that God is more than enough for me (and you), even if I have a hard time recognizing it in the moment.  

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you." -Psalm 55:22

something i came across today

An Excerpt from Thoughts in Solitude
by Thomas Merton

"MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

the beauty of suffering

Earlier in the week, I made mention of this past weekend's message at my church, Colossae, and its unquestionable applicability to my life. Despite the other people in the room, it seemed as though I was the only person there and our pastor, Chuck (and more specifically, God), was speaking directly to me. After the service, Chuck actually admitted that he kept thinking of me as he was preparing all week. To which, a friend replied, "Yeah, I was thinking about you the whole time Chuck was talking."

I think it is important to note, that although Chuck thought about me while preparing the message, he didn't select the message because of me. We have been walking through 1 Peter for several months, and the next section (4:7-19) dealt with suffering. I do believe that divine providence was involved here, because only one week earlier I would not have been in a place to receive this message. It was what God wanted to say at a time when I needed to hear. Today, I went back and listened to the message again, and gleaned considerably more from it, enough that I think I am actually starting to grasp it.

Verses 12-13 read: "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." As Chuck paraphrased, "This whole tough time you're having, shouldn't be a shocker." Jesus doesn't promise to make everything perfect and comfortable for us, until we meet him after our physical death. It is in and through trials, suffering, and discomfort that God grows us to maturity in Him, and we are to accept such circumstances with joy.

James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

1 Peter 1:6-7
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 

Romans 5:3-5
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Hebrews 12:11
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Chuck posed three questions that I am still being challenged by, and which have drastically changed my perspective on what I am going through. It has taken six days for these questions to really impact my thinking, so I would encourage you to marinate on them for a few days.

1) When we find ourselves in trials, do we want to get out as quickly as possible? Or do we ask God to keep us in it as long as he sees necessary, so that he can teach us what he wants us to learn?

2) When someone you love is in a time of suffering, do you encourage them to just trust in Jesus and insinuate that if they do everything will automatically become easier for them? Or do you push them to worship Jesus because of the trial, knowing that their faith will be strengthened and proven in it?

3) When you find yourself in tough times, do you tend to have an attitude of self-pity? Or do you have a humble and teachable heart, trusting that Jesus will show you how to worship him more fully through and in the midst of that trial?

Finding joy in the midst of trial is certainly difficult; approaching trials with joy is even more so. However, this is how our Lord calls us to live. We must trust his goodness and promises to never leave us nor forsake us. We must be encouraged and hopeful, although not merely in our suffering, but because of it.

I haven't fully figured out how to accomplish this, but I am claiming the promise that the Lord is using this trial to grow my faith. In this, I have hope. 

If you were at Colossae on Sunday, you really should listen to this message again and let it seep in more. If you weren't there (perhaps you should come), you really should listen to the whole thing. To listen online or download the message, click here.