June 8: Tuesday Refocus

“The Son of God suffered unto the death, not that men might not suffer, but that their sufferings might be like His.” - George MacDonald

Humanity can feel heavy.  Even creation groans under the weight of sin (Rom 8:19-23).  Suffering is a part of life - but it was never supposed to be that way.  The sin of our first parents warped and bent everything good, beautiful, and perfect into something other than its original intention.  And on days when I feel especially heavy, especially weary, I find myself yelling out prayers like a storm-tossed disciple: ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ (Mark 4:38).

Is Christ’s presence with us in the boat, with us in flesh, with us by His Spirit not the answer for which I am groaning in those moments?  I ask questions, God answers with Himself.  ‘Put your fingers here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ (Jn 20:27)

My suffering only makes sense when I can see that my Savior has first suffered for me.  My suffering only makes sense when I see that it is accomplishing something larger, and longer-lasting than this moment - it is preparation for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor 4:17).  When we suffer with our Savior we will also be glorified with Him (Rom 8:17).

The suffering of Christ is the answer to my own suffering.  His suffering is complete, once for all (Heb 10:12-13), and has given access to a life where, ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’  Rev 21:4

Jesus, thank you for your withness in our suffering.  Thank you for your own suffering which is final and complete.  Thank you that we will one day stand face-to-face with the One who bears eternal scars.  Amen.

With,

AB

June 1: Tuesday Refocus

‘Move, I pray Thee, upon my disordered heart; take away the infirmities of unruly desires and hateful lusts; lift the mists and darkness of unbelief; brighten my soul with the pure light of truth.’ - Valley of Vision

My heart is divided, deceitful, and desperately sick, it springs with life and death (Psalm 86:11, Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 4:23, Ezekiel 36:26). The heart is complex, and confusing - who can understand their own heart, much less the heart of another (Jeremiah 17:9. Proverbs 20:24)?

I am incapable of changing my own heart, because I do not have a bad heart that needs to be made better, but a stone heart that needs to be made flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).  And this only occurs from Without, not within.  I am only made alive by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 16:13).

The hope of my heart is not trying harder, being better, doing more, but becoming Christ’s.  I need my heart to be transformed to look like the heart of Christ: gentle and lowly (Matt 11:29).

Lord, make my dead heart alive.  Make my calloused heart tender.  Give me a heart like Yours, Lord Jesus.  In Your name, amen.

Asking,

AB

May 25: Tuesday Refocus

‘It could have been very easy for God to have loved us and never told us. God could have been merciful toward us and never revealed it… The Eternal Son came to tell us what the silence never told us. He came to tell us that God cares and God loves and God has a plan and God’s carrying out that plan.’ - A.W. Tozer

Our God comes, He does not keep silence (Psalm 50:3).  He is the Word made flesh (John 1).  The Word reveals how we know that we are loved by God: ‘By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.’ (1 John 3:16). We are not left to wonder if we are known, and loved by God, because although we are dust, we ‘fill the mind of God’ (Tim Keller on Psalm 8:4).

Thank you, Father, that we are not left to guess if You love us and are for us.  All we must do is set our eyes to the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Your Son, our Brother, Savior, and King - Christ Jesus.  And it is in His name that we pray, amen.

Remembering,

AB

May 18: Tuesday Refocus

‘We want to avoid suffering, death, sin, ashes, but we live in a world crushed and broken and torn, a world God Himself visited to redeem.  We receive His poured-out life and, being allowed the high privilege of suffering with Him, may then pour ourselves out for others.’ - Elisabeth Elliot

Those who follow Christ live in His upside-down kingdom. 

In this kingdom… 

…it was the will of the Father to crush the Son (Isaiah 53:10).

…it was for the joy set before Christ that He endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2).

…we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize, but in every way has been tempted as we, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

…the last will be first, and the first will be last (Matthew 20:16).

…enemies become friends (Romans 5:10).

…you must lose your life to find your life (Matthew 10:39).

…orphans become heirs (Romans 8:17).

…sharing in Christ’s suffering means sharing also in His glory (Romans 8:17).

…we have been loved first (1 John 4:19).

This upside-down kingdom of Christ extends to the world, as His followers live upside-down in the world.

God, forgive our contentment with living in the wrong Kingdom, in the wrong direction.  Christ, You have taken the lowest place, although you deserve the highest place.  Forgive us for thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought.  Turn us upside down in your Kingdom.  Amen.

Living,

AB

May 11: Tuesday Refocus

‘In Christ, our Great High Priest, the Lord HAS blessed us, HAS kept us, HAS made His face to shine upon us, HAS been gracious to us, HAS lifted His countenance upon us, HAS given us peace (Numbers 6:24-26) and WILL continue to do so, for all our days.’ - Matt Merker

All the things which we truly desire are already ours.  The blessing, keeping, gaze, grace, character, and peace of God are ours in and through Christ.  Because we are hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3), because we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17).

Henri Nouwen says, ‘I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found.’  In Christ, we can cease our searching and rest in the reality of what He has accomplished.  In Christ, we can rest in the reality that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:31-39).

No life, death, things present or in the future, angel, demon, power, creature, height, depth, persecution, or poverty can separate us from your love, Lord.  Forgive the ways we search, seek, and forsake Your never-stopping, never-ending, unbreaking, always and forever love.  In Your name, amen.   

Resting,

AB

May 4: Tuesday Refocus

‘I think that the deepest motive for mission is simply to desire to be with Jesus where He is, on the frontier between the ring of God and the usurped dominion of the devil.’ - Lesslie Newbigin

Jesus is building His Church (Matt 16:18).  How quickly we forget that the One who holds the universe together by the word of His power does not need our action to accomplish His purpose (Heb 1:3).  But what grace that He gives us gifts for the purpose of building up His body (1 Cor 14:12).

When service and mission become about doing for God, rather than presence with God, and His people, we find ourselves troubled by many things.  We have failed to choose the good portion (Luke 10:42).  We serve intentionally and invest intentionally, but we do so before the face of God, from the love of God, for the glory of God, and the good of others.

Lord, would you reorder our loves?  Forgive our foolish thoughts that you need us - our skills, gifts, and time - as if all of those things had not first been entrusted to us by You in the first place.  Would we be marked by presence with You first, foremost, and ever ongoing.  Jesus, You are God with us, may we be people with You.  In Your name, amen.

With,

Aaron

April 27: Tuesday Refocus

‘Grant me never lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the exceeding righteousness of salvation, the exceeding glory of Christ, the exceeding beauty of holiness, the exceeding wonder of grace.’ - Valley of Vision

The more clearly I see my sin, the more it becomes eclipsed by the beauty and glory of Christ.  The more clearly I see Christ, the uglier my sin becomes.  When we see these two extremes, we can say with the prophet, ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’ (Is 6:5). Like Peter, we find ourselves at Jesus’ knees saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ (Lk 5:8)

The more we behold the beauty of Christ and the ugliness of our sin, the more we are awakened to the deep grip of Grace.  This is the place where wonder and worship flow.  This is the place that breaks our illusions of self-justification.  This is the place where we must return again, and again, and again.

Lord, forgive how casually we see our own sin - those things which sent you to the cross.  Forgive how flippantly we view your glory and holiness.  Give us eyes to see You, for Your glory, and our good, amen.

Looking,

AB  

April 20: Tuesday Refocus

‘For whenever the human soul turns itself, other than to You, it is fixed in sorrows, even if it is fixed upon beautiful things.’ - Augustine 

Our hungry hearts and souls are quick to exchange the truth about God for a lie and worship and serve creature rather than the Creator (Rom 1:25).  Since the fall in the Garden, this has always been our story (Gen 3:1-7).  We have found time and time again the words of the Psalmist are true: ’The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply…’ (Ps 16:4).

Where can we set our gaze to not be fixed in multiplying sorrows?  Toward Christ.

‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.’ Hebrews 12:1-2

Instead of turning toward immediate relief from His suffering, He set His face like flint toward Jerusalem (Lk 9:51).  He set His face toward doing the will of the Father (Jn 6:38).  He set His face toward the cross.  And when we look to Him, we live. 

Lord, may we look to You.  May we run to You and away from the lesser gods, the lesser loves which so easily entangle.  May we look to You and live, in Your name, amen.

Looking,

AB

April 13: Tuesday Refocus

‘Let me hear in the morning of Your steadfast love, for in You I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.’ Psalm 143:8

We are reminded of our humanity, our life from the dust every day - our bodies are weak, tired, and need to sleep (Gen 3:19).  Is there a more vulnerable position for any of us?  And yet, the Lord gives rest to his beloved (Ps 127:2).  He who never slumbers or sleeps watches over us as we do (Ps 121:4).

That vulnerability continues as we awake to a word that has continued on in our eight-hour absence.  

Will we awake to loss?  

Natural disaster? 

War?

Whatever the morning may bring, we always awake to new mercies (Lam 3:22-23).  And we are invited to be drawn by, anchored to, and rest in the steadfast love of God in a world that is anything other than steadfast.

Lord, let your steadfast love awaken us from our physical sleep as your steadfast love awakens us from our spiritual sleep.  May we drink deeply from the well of your character this morning, and every morning.  Amen.

Awake,

AB

April 6: Tuesday Refocus

‘I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’ - Philippians 4:10-13

One of the things I learned from my counselor, it is possible to be content and still desire things to be different.  You can be content and still desire for things to be different because contentment is not resignation to our current reality.  Contentment is choosing to place our hope in something that is immovable.  As we have just walked through Holy Week, one of the things we see from Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is His pleading the Father, ‘…if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will (Matt 26:39).’  It is good news for you and me that the contentment of Christ did not rest in avoiding the cross.  The contentment of Christ rests in doing the will of the Father.

Lord, thank you for modeling contentment for us.  Forgive our fickle hearts, our circumstantial contentment, and our unwillingness to endure with You who bore the cross and curse of our sin.  Let our hearts settle into contentment as we see Your completed work.  In Your name, amen.

For contentment,

AB

February 16: Tuesday Refocus

“Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting.” - A.W. Tozer

On the Eve of this Lenten season, we can agree we have lived in a perpetual state of Lent the past year. Fasting from and withholding of much of the goodness and sweetness we have come to recognize within our lives.  Our hearts have grown sick and weary for the hope deferred (Proverbs 13:12), as we have longed for things to be different.

Scripture says: ‘For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.’ 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Suffering this side of eternity is real, deep, and painful.  You may run, but you will never outrun suffering’s global and local, universal and personal reach.  But when we run to suffering and remain steadfast, we will be perfected and complete, lacking nothing (Jam 1:4).  We follow the example of the Suffering Servant, the Man of sorrows who was acquainted with grief, who for the Joy that was set before Him endured the cross, completing His work (Is 53, Heb 12:2).

We are only able to embrace suffering when we see that it is accomplishing something deeper, and richer within us… and that may not be seen or experienced this side of eternity, but there?  Beyond all comparison.

Lord, as we enter into this intentional time of remembrance and removal, may we look to You.  May we be captivated and filled with the reality of who You are and what You have accomplished.  You who patiently endured, You who delighted to do Your Father’s will, You who lived among us, died for us, have been raised, are seated at the right hand of the Father, and will return again.  In Your name, Jesus, amen.

To Lent,

AB 

February 9: Tuesday Refocus

‘’…and rend your hearts and not your garments.’  Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.’  Joel 2:13

Ours is a culture valuing appearance over substance.  Virtue signaling and moral outrage overflow our social media feed with revelations of each new crisis.  We are well-versed in garment-rending.

And yet, it is not right external behavior that God desires, but hearts that are His (Matt 9:13, Hos 6:6).  Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus rail against the Scribes and Pharisees.  Their attention to the smallest detail - tithing spices - highlighted not their holiness, but how they had neglected what truly mattered: justice, mercy, faithfulness, and the love of God (Lk 11:42, Matt 23:23).  They were whitewashed tombs, beautiful to look at, full of death on the inside (Matt 23:27).  Can you blame them?  It will always be easier to craft the appearance of a heart belonging to God rather than to dying to self and living to Christ (Rom 6).  And yet, only hearts - not garments - that have been rent can be made whole.

It will always be easier to be whitewashed.  

It will always be easier to praise God with our mouths while our hearts are far from Him (Is 29:13, Matt 15:8).

But He invites us to return.  

Our divided, stone hearts can be made whole and alive by the One who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Eze 36:26, Ps 86:11).  Rending our hearts is the only right response to the One who did not rend His garments, but His body on our behalf (1 Cor 11:24).

Thank You, Lord, that you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  May our hearts be holy, and wholly yours.  In Christ’s name, amen.

AB