28 May: Tuesday Refocus

“To say that God is holy once is enough. To say that God is holy twice is emphatic. To say God is holy three times is superlative. God is holy that our minds cannot comprehend it and our mouths cannot express it. To say that God is holy is to say that God is God. Holiness is the ‘Godness’ of God. Worship that does not revere the holiness of God is not worship. It is the idolatrous veneration of a god of our own making.” - H.B. Charles Jr.

A glimpse of God is to be reminded that He is holy (and that I am not). Beholding the One who dwells in unapproachable light inspires an endless, and repeated song that somehow perfectly articulates who He is without ever becoming repetitive or emptied of meaning (1 Timothy 6:16, Isaiah 6:3). This is the song of eternity past and eternity future. It is the cry of the saints and angels and all of creation - may it be our song as well:   

“…and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 4:8

Father, would you help us to be holy as Jesus is holy, in Christ’s name, and in the power of the Spirit we pray, amen.

Amen,

AB

November 17: Tuesday Refocus

‘We are never more healthy than when we are confessing our sins.’  - Ronald Rolheiser

Our world can feel dark.  Scripture tells us we are…

…people with darkened hearts and minds (Eph 4:18).

…dwelling in the land of deep darkness (Is 9:2).

…loving the dark (Jn 3:19).

Is it any wonder that our world feels dark when our hearts are hard to the exposing light of Christ’s holiness?  As we move toward Advent and Christmas, I am reminded that even when things seem dark, Light has shone (Jn 1:5).

The light of Christ is not merely a spotlight on our sin – although it does expose the ugly and most protected parts of ourselves – it is also an invitation to leave our love of darkness, confess, repent, and be welcomed as children of light (1 Thess 5:5, Eph 5:8).

Don’t run from His light,

run to it,

because in a darkened world,

we need enlightened lives. 

Lord, would you expose the darkness in us and around us?  Would you make us people who are quick to confess our own love of darkness before we point out the darkness of others?  May we be bringers of Your light and presence, for Your glory and our good, in Christ’s name, amen.

Confessing,

AB

May 26: Tuesday Refocus

‘God does His deepest work in our darkest hours.’ – A.W. Tozer

Have you sensed the darkness in these weeks and months of quarantine?  The confusion and uncertainty externally has only served to highlight my own internal darkness.  I am left with so few ways to numb, avoid or ignore when the distractions are removed, and noise is quieted. 

But what feels dark to me is as bright as the day to Him (Ps 139:12).  He who saw my unformed substance in the dark, weaving me together in the depths of the earth, calls me out of the darkness and into His marvelous light, by meeting me in the darkness (Ps 139:15-16), 1 Pet 2:9, Jn 1:9).

He is working even here, even now.  Leading us with kindness toward repentance (Rom 2:4).  Coming after our hearts with the invitation, ‘where are you? (Gen 3:9).  And He is once again forming the unformed parts of our hearts in this land of deep darkness by shining the light of Christ (Is 9:2).

God, thank You, that You work even in the darkness, even in the darkened parts of our heart.  There is nothing that goes unseen or unnoticed by You.  No mystery or uncertainty in us, or in a world that is overwhelmed with a very real disease.  Give us hearts that desire the light of Your holiness to illumine the darkened places in our lives.  In Jesus name, amen.

To light,

AB