November 23: Tuesday Refocus

‘If Christ is yours, then wealth is yours; He satisfies all your wants.’ - Thomas A Kempis

There is no good thing withheld from the follower of Jesus (Ps 84:11). We are those who live in the reality of knowing that ‘He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him app for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? (Rom 8:32).’  We have no need greater than our need to be made right with God - a need that has been met in and through the finished work of Christ.  It was through the poverty of Christ that we have now become rich: ‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.’ (2 Cor 8:9).

What wealth could the world offer that could surpass the wealth of being in relationship with the One who need only open His hand to satisfy the desire of every living thing (Ps 145:16)?  

’Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.’ Psalm 90:14

Lord, may we be satisfied with You and in You.  As we enter into the holiday season, may there be nothing we desire outside of and apart from You.  For Your glory and our good, amen.

Satisfied,

AB

November 16: Tuesday Refocus

“Worship is a time where we bring the gods we have made before the God who has made us.” - Gardner C. Taylor

When we gather with God’s people, we do not come to worship, we come already worshiping.  Our lives are a never-ending fountain of praise, adoration, and devotion.  Part of the reason we gather is to have our wrong-worship disrupted and to behold the Creator who is blessed forever (Rom 1:25).  As we worship God we see that we have become like the gods we have made (Ps 115:8), that we have exchanged the truth for a lie and have worshiped created things rather than the Creator (Rom 1:25).  We gather to be reminded:

‘…great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.  Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!’ Psalm 96:4-9  

God as we gather with Your people, may we be reminded that You are the only One worthy of our lives of worship.  May we cast down the idols we have made, may You reveal the hidden objects of our worship and devotion, and in their place would You shine forth more glorious.  In Christ’s name, amen.

At worship,

AB

November 9: Tuesday Refocus

'[Prayer] is an earnest and familiar talking with God.' — John Knox

Something about prayer always seems mysterious - even to the most deeply discipled among us.  The disciples of Jesus felt this was an area that they too needed His coaching (Luke 11:1-13).

Most people probably assume that prayer is mainly intercessory prayer.  Praying to God, that He would move on behalf of myself or another.  Lord, please give me what I want kind of requests.  Although this is certainly one form of prayer, if we are to pray without ceasing as the Scriptures instruct (1 Thess 5:17), then our prayers must be more than wishlists.  

The Psalms are the prayer book for God’s people.  We see intercession and petition in the Psalms of course, but we also see that prayer is a posture of heart, a rhythm of life, and shaped around the contours of every day.

‘…pour out your heart before Him…’ (Ps 62:8)

‘O Lord, all my longing is before You…’ (Ps 38:9)

‘For God alone, my soul waits in silence…’ (Ps 62:1)

‘I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways.’ (Ps 119:15)

‘With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of Your righteousness, Yours alone.’ (Ps 71:16)

For prayer to be an earnest and familiar talking with God, we must continue to posture our hearts toward communion, union, and relationship with God.  

Open hands, 

open hearts, 

open ears.  

Speak Lord, your servant is listening… All the amens.

Amen,

AB

November 2: Tuesday Refocus

“By affliction He teaches us many precious lessons, which without it we should never learn.  By affliction He shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world, makes us long for heaven.” - J.C. Ryle

Pain can make us retreat.  Or perhaps it can feel as though pain makes God retreat.  And yet, how can that be true when our Savior is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (Is 53:3)?

God has never been absent in our affliction - in fact, He is so near to our affliction that He took it upon Himself - ‘But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed (Is 53:5).’

We may be tempted to believe that doing the right things means we will have an easy life - that things will go well, that God is somehow indebted to provide us with peace for not causing a raucous.  There are many examples throughout Scripture that obedience does not equal ease.  Christ was perfectly obedient to God the Father, and would any confuse His for an easy life?

The world, our flesh, and the devil beckon us toward the wide gate and the easy way.  This is a road easy, well-worn, and leading to destruction (Matt 7:13).  But Christ invites us to walk His road: ‘For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.’ (Matt 7:14)

Lord, may we walk Your road filled with your strength, close to Your heart, undivided in heart, hungry for Your truth, and in eager expectation of Your return.  Amen.

Walking,

AB

October 26: Tuesday Refocus

‘Every time circumstances press in on you, say, ‘Speak, Lord,’ and make time to listen.  As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.’ - Oswald Chambers

The world is noisy and our hearts and minds are overwhelmed with the volume both externally and internally.  So many of us are desperate for God to speak to us without studying the tones, cadence, and language He speaks.  Our Good Shepherd said, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (Jn 10:27).’

His voice declares the identity of His beloved Son (Matt 3:17, Mark 1:11, Lk 3:22).

His voice thunders with glory, His voice is over the waters (Ps 29:3).

His voice is powerful, full of majesty, He breaks strong cedars (Ps 29:5).

His voice flashes forth flames of fire, shaking the wilderness (Ps 29:7-8).

He sends out His voice, His mighty voice (Ps 68:33).

His voice is like the sound of many waters (Rev 1:15).

His voice has glorified and will glorify His name (John 12:28).

His voice shakes heaven and earth (Heb 12:26).

His voice is not always in an earthquake and fire but in the sound of a low whisper (1 Kings 19:12).

His voice declares the dwelling place of God is with man (Rev 21:3).

His voice invites us to return to Himself - the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).

Lord, may we become familiar with Your voice, Your tone, Your cadence, and Your quiet.  May we know Your voice, love Your voice, and obey Your voice.  Speak Lord, Amen.

Listening,

AB

October 19: Tuesday Refocus

‘Our minds cannot find calm repose until we arrive at the unmerited love of God.’ - John Calvin

“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mk 10:17).

Isn’t this the question we all ask?  What must I do?

It almost drips with desperation.  I have kept all of the commandments from my youth (Mark 10:20).  What else is there to do for salvation for the one who possesses the commandments, and great possessions (Mark 10:22)?

What must I do for peace of mind and peace with God?

What must I do?

If I do all of the right things maybe then I can inherit, possess, own eternal life.  But deep down, we all know that we are enemies of God, it is our own doing that put us here, and therefore no amount of our own doing can change our eternal reality.  Rather we are invited, by faith, to rest in the gift of grace (Rom 3:24-26).  We don’t do our way to salvation, we rest in the unmerited love of God:

‘…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.’ Ephesians 3:17-19

Lord, may we cease our striving, cease our doing, and rest in the work You have done on our behalf.  It is full, finished, and complete.  Forgive my heart which would like to add to that work, to take hold and possess that work as if I have done anything to merit it.  Allow me to arrive at your unmerited love, oh God.  Amen.

Resting,

AB

October 12: Tuesday Refocus

‘I pray to Thee O God, by Your goodness, give me Yourself, for You are enough for me.’ - Julian of Norwich

Is He enough?  

In plenty and in want, in strength and in weakness, in the good and evil - is He enough?  

When I find myself in want, weakness, and evil - is Christ enough here?

When I find myself in plenty, full of strength and experiencing good - is it still Christ who is enough here?

The character of God never changes (Heb 13:8), He is good and does good (Ps 119:68), and truly ‘…no one is good except God alone’ (Luke 18:19).  This good God is near to all who call on Him, to all who call upon Him in truth (Ps 145:18).  He is God with us, God for us, and God among us, and His nearness is our good.

‘But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the LORD GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.’ Psalm 73:28

Lord, your nearness is our good.  Thank You that You are near to us as Emmanuel.  You are near to the broken-hearted.  You are closer to us than we are to ourselves.  May we be aware of Your nearness to us today.  Amen.

Near,

AB

October 5: Tuesday Refocus

“God is not too great to notice you, but He is too great to overlook you.” - Ray Ortlund

He upholds the universe by the word of His power and is acquainted with all our ways (Heb 1:3, Ps 139:3).  

He established the foundations of the world and knit every person together in the womb of their mother(Ps 104:5, Ps 139:13).  

He has numbered and named the stars and knows every hair on our heads (Ps 147:4, Luke 12:7).  

He holds the water of every ocean in the palm of His hand and knows every word before it is uttered (Is 40:12, Ps 139:4).  

He dwells in unapproachable light, and He knows even the hidden corners of our or hearts (1 Tim 6:16, Heb 4:13).

We are kept by the One who does not slumber or sleep (Ps 121:3).  The One who is not too great to notice, but too great to overlook.

Lord, may we be reminded of your transcendence and your immanence.  Your holiness and Your nearness to sinners.  May our lives be marked by both realities.  Amen.

Remembering,

AB

September 28: Tuesday Refocus

“Jesus today has many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who carry His cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress. Plenty of people He finds to share His banquet, few to share His fast…  There are many that follow Jesus as far as the breaking of bread, few as far as drinking the cup of suffering; many that revere His miracles, few that follow Him in the indignity of His cross.” - Thomas A Kempis

Life with God is both and.  

It cannot be only glory.  

It will not be only suffering.

‘…and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.’ - Romans 8:17

Life with God is both and.

It cannot be only life.

It will not be only death.

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.” - Romans 6:8

Life with God is both and.

It cannot be only reigning.

It will not be only endurance.

“…if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us…” - 2 Timothy 2:12

Jesus, forgive us for desiring glory, life, and reigning with You, when we are unwilling to suffer, die, and endure with You.  Enable us to live the both and life, for Your glory and our good.  Amen.

Both and,

AB

September 21: Tuesday Refocus

‘Life has no other purpose than to be rendered up to God in adoration and gratitude.’ - C.F.D. Moule

All is grace.

The very breath in our lungs, placed there by God (Gen 2:7).  The beating of our hearts, the movements of our bodies and brains gifted to us by the One who knows the number of our days, and has numbered the hair of our head (Ps 139:16, Luke 12:7).

And what is the purpose of this grace and goodness?  What is the aim of this life and breath and everything (Acts 17:25)?  To glorify God and enjoy Him forever - as the Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us.

All is grace.

All is gift.

All is given by God to be given back to God in adoration and gratitude.

‘The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein…’ Psalm 24:1

Father, would your lavish grace, goodness, and gift to us lead us to respond to you in adoration, gratitude and surrender.  Because all we do is give back to You what always has been Yours.  In Christ’s name, amen.

Grace,

AB

September 14: Tuesday Refocus

“But when I remember that I am not my own, I offer up my heart, presented as a sacrifice to the Lord.” - John Calvin

When I was young I remember fearing that God may call me to live in some far-flung location to serve Him.  Maybe you too have feared that God may ask of you something you are not yet willing to give.  Followers of Jesus are not their own, but those who have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20).  Believing this truth carries with it the acknowledgment that if we are not our own, we do not have complete control over our lives.

As those who bear the image of God, we are called to give to God what belongs to God (Gen 1:27, Mark 12:17).  This can be both fearful and freeing.  Fearful because I have less claim over myself than I would desire.  Freeing because I know that God is a good Father who loves me and that presenting my body as a living sacrifice to God is the only way to find true freedom (Matt 7:11, Rom 12:1).  To find your life, you must lose your life (Matt 16:25).

Perhaps the only thing scarier than a heart presented as a sacrifice to the Lord - with the potential of being sent to a far-flung location - is a hard heart…  A life unwilling to be sacrificed in response to the Living Sacrifice.

Take myself, and I will be, ever, only all for Thee.  Amen.

For Thee,

AB

September 7: Tuesday Refocus

“All sin is rooted in unbelief. We don’t trust that God can and will handle our lives fairly and well.” - Martin Luther

Has life ever worked out well for those who have taken it into their own hands?  Our first parents attempted to find life outside of a perfect relationship with God and instead grasped death, clinging to fragments of sin-broken relationship between God and humanity, one another, and creation (Gen 3).

We scoff and bemoan their ridiculous choice - but we make the same choice every day when… 

…we do not trust God will get our lives right.

…we believe that He has gotten it wrong.

…we fear that we have been overlooked, forgotten, or mistreated.

…we believe that God owes us.

…we think we deserve better.

We forget that ‘He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things?’ (Rom 8:32).  

How could we doubt His care?  

How could we forget His provision?  

How could we disbelieve His goodness when we look to the life of our Savior?

Lord, we believe.  Help our unbelief.  Amen.

Remembering,

AB