Praise from the Pit

Friends, I am thrilled to introduce this week's guest blogger, my dear friend Hannah Clements. Hannah is beautiful inside and out and speaks words of encouragement from a heart that is much like His. Take a few moments today and listen to this timely message for the holidays. xo, Jennifer

This Thanksgiving I gave thanks on the mountain top. Praise Jesus! 2015 was the best year full of adventures with the ones I love. While sipping coffee and praising Him on the mountain top Thanksgiving morning, I hear Him gently whisper, "But would you praise me in the pit?” 

"Yes Lord, I will praise you in the pit,” I responded, a little hurt that He would need to ask me. Peter must have felt the same when Jesus asked him not once, but 3 times, "Do you love me?"  

Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:16-17 ESV

You see, the pit is where faith is refined. Where Jesus becomes enough. James said in Chapter 1 "to consider it pure joy when you face trials.” Consider it joy when you are in the pit. James says trials produce "steadfast" faith. Steadfast means unwavering and firm. Lord, I want to be steadfast. But my heart cries, "God protect me from the pit, protect my family, friends and all things dear. No pits for me, please. ...But if it be so l will praise you.” 

I think of my sweet friend whose Thanksgiving this year may feel more like the pit, whose 2015 was filled with more heart break than adventure. Lord, you see her. You see her praising you in the pit. How you must delight in her unwavering faith and praise in all circumstances. 

If you, like my friend, find yourself in the pit this holiday season, rest assured that God, El Roi - the God who sees - sees YOU. He sees your heartache and hears your faint whispers of praise AND He delights in you. Whispers of Praise in the pit must be worth more to Him than shouts of Praise on the mountain top. One thing I know is He is good in seasons of mountain tops and in seasons of valleys low. For He alone is worthy of your praise. Praise Him where you are today. 

Oh Lord, help me to praise you in the pit. Help me to praise you in all circumstances. Lord, you give and you take away. Bind my wandering heart to thee, Lord, for I will need your help to praise you in the pit. Lord, the cry of my heart is to love you, to tend your sheep, and to praise you in the pit.

Amen.

What Has He Brought? Why Has He Brought It?

I've done something that I believe is contrary to the laws of nature and moral order. I fought my heart in this and demanded that it take a different direction.

But, alas. I was compelled:

I'm going to talk about Christmas before Thanksgiving.

Sigh.

I'm a firm believer in keeping the two sacrosanct. I tried to conjure a sweet message of Thanksgiving, but this message of Christmas hit my heart quickly this morning. The Lord supplied it with very little effort from me.

So here I am, bidding you to jump into Advent this week. I hope you'll forgive me. I hope you'll come along.

My favorite passage of Christmas scripture is Isaiah 9. I love it for so many reasons: it is powerfully prophetic and unyielding in it's truth. I love this scripture because on the night of Jesus' birth perhaps the very words of it resounded in the hearts of Mary and Joseph.

Let's read:

2 The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
    and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
    you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
    will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9 asks two questions and just as quickly answers them.

What has He brought? Why has He brought it?

A summation of this passage tells us exactly what Jesus brought:

Hope. Joy. Freedom. An end to all wars. A righteous and just reign from a wise and brave Ruler. An everlasting Kingdom where humanity is wholly loved. Peace. Fulfillment of every promise made by the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. Justice for all evil and goodness to replace it.

Friends, we will stand in praise for eternity because of what Jesus brought. This is reason enough for a forever of singing, shouting, dancing, laughing, celebrating.

But the second question and it's answer is enough to bring you to your knees. It is reason enough for an eternity of sincere and breathtaking heart-song to a Holy and Good Father.

We know what He brought. Why has He brought it?

Let's look again at verse 7. The very last line.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Why has He brought all of these perfect gifts? Because of the zeal of the Lord.

See, the Lord is a God of honor. What He says He will do, He does. He is honor bound to Himself, to His Son Jesus, and to you and me, His people.

He is intensely passionate about the promises He has made to you. Why?

A man much smarter than me, John Gill the 18th century philosopher, said this:

"...and his zeal or fervent love to his people will put him upon all this, since it is for their good, as well as for his own glory, and the honor of his Son."

He made you good promises, promises He knew He would be mandated to keep simply because...He loves you.

The greatest minds and theorists, philosophers and scholars, can wax poetic and create highly sophisticated notions on why Christ came, but it only and simply boils down to this:

Love.

He brought you good things because of His great love for you.

As the world cried out in sin and hopelessness, sweet redemption was born in a stable.

What has He brought? Why has He brought it?

He brought perfect love. Because of His perfect love for you.

#PrayforParis

Nehemiah sat stunned, hanging on every word of the escapees from Jerusalem. His heart belonged to that city and he was desperate for any news concerning its stability and its inhabitants. Questions rolled off his tongue in quick succession: Who else had escaped? Who had survived their exile? Was the city still standing?

And then, the crushing news: "The survivors of the city are in great trouble and great shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and it's gates are destroyed by fire." (Nehemiah 1: 3)

The city that Nehemiah loved had been brutalized by a foreign army and laid to waste, its inhabitants either killed, sent into exile, or barely surviving in the city walls.

But Nehemiah knows exactly what to do:

"As soon as I heard these words I sat down, wept and mourned and fasted, and I prayed."

I know how Nehemiah felt. All too sadly, for a woman only 34 years old, this feeling is familiar.

Littleton.

New York.

London.

Madrid.

Fort Hood.

Boston.

Charleston.

Paris.

There are more. There are always more.

I sit and watch the brutalization and violence in these beloved cities.

And just like the hashtags tell me and just like Nehemiah did, I fall to my knees.

I pray for Paris.

Because we need more than hashtags and French flag overlays on our profile pictures. We need to encounter the Holy, Living God. We need to ask Him to forgive our world and restore it.

Nehemiah's prayer lasts for seven verses and from his chambers in Susa almost 3 millennium ago he teaches us how to pray for Paris today:

Nehemiah 1:5-6 I said, “God, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I’m praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I’m including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you."

We come to God acknowledging His might, His sovereignty, His steadfast love. We remind Him that we are His people, a people who are in covenant love with Him. We are reminded of our great privilege to be His servants and this reminds us of the great ways we've failed him.

We come to His throne in earnest supplication and repentance for ourselves and for the world.

1:7-9 “We’ve treated you like dirt: We haven’t done what you told us, haven’t followed your commands, and haven’t respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant. All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: ‘If you betray me, I’ll scatter you to the four winds, but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I’ll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.’"

We come to God remembering that He is just and will always do what He says He will.

We come in true repentance knowing God will move heaven and earth to restore and heal what is broken.

We come to God knowing He will not cast the sinner out, but bring the repentant in to dwell with Him.

1:10-11 “Well, there they are—your servants, your people whom you so powerfully and impressively redeemed. O Master, listen to me, listen to your servant’s prayer—and yes, to all your servants who delight in honoring you—and make me successful today so that I get what I want from the king.”

We come to God reminding Him that we are His people, that there is a remnant in all cities who love Him and seek Him.

We come to God asking Him to grant mercy.

We come acknowledging our only way to success in this war is through Him.

Because we are in a war. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

If you think the mastermind behind these attacks on our beloved cities is man, you are mistaken. The violence and sheer terror bear the mark of Satan himself. Satan who declared war on Jesus at the beginning of time and declares war on His people today.

And we, in our frail humanity, cannot win.

But Jesus can.

See, Nehemiah's prayer was answered. God heard his servant's prayer and sent him home to Jerusalem to rebuild its wall and restore its people.

And just like God heard the earnest and repentant prayer of Nehemiah, He will hear ours, too.

So, let us run to God's throne with prayer. Let us, in sincere supplication, repent and ask our mighty and good God to reign supreme on earth.

Let's pray for repentance.

Let's pray for restoration.

Let's pray for mercy.

Let's pray for light to overtake darkness.

Friends, let's pray for Paris.

Becoming Grace

I was about to turn onto the main road near my house, but quickly approaching was a small silver car. I stopped and waited for the car to pass in front of me, but instead this car quickly turned off the road not using her turn signal.

I don’t have patience with this. Drivers who aren’t courteous are a big pet peeve of mine. Turn signals, headlights, slow lanes. These were made to be used.

Stupid silver car.

Moments later I was pulling out of the post office. And guess what?

I forgot to use my turn signal and totally inconvenienced an oncoming car.

Maybe this is just a small example, but how often do scenarios like this play out in my life?

I have zero patience for others when they mess up, but expect kindness and understanding and consideration be extended to me when I do.

I think I’m grace-spoiled. God is such a giver. He has bought my freedom through His Son, Jesus. He is a patient Father who disciplines me with love. I know that He still loves me when I fail Him.

Psalm 103:8 says that The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

But I forget. I don't forget that I've been given grace.

What I forget is that others deserve my grace.

What if I extended forgiveness and love to others in the same way it’s been given to me?

Maybe I will find a gentler, kinder version of myself. Maybe I will find a more free, less stressed face in the mirror.

Ephesians 2:8 reminds us, “ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Y’all, I need God’s grace. God’s grace is the base of every good thing in my life. It is the hub from which all other blessings flow.

Verse 10 goes on to say this: “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

What if I was bought by grace to become grace itself?

Grace bought me. Grace saved me. Grace gives good things to me. I should be giving it away.

My favorite hymn reminds me: Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be.

Since I’ve been given grace in such abundance it is only right that I give it.

So maybe the next time I’m so eager to place blame on someone for a mistake, I should instead place grace.

Today I will try. I will try to show myself as God’s handiwork. I will look like someone who is compassionate and gracious. Someone who is slow to anger. Someone who is abounding in love.

I’ll look a little less grace-spoiled.

I’ll look a little more grace-full.

Crushed {An Evergreen Post}

Every once in awhile we like to look into our archives and share one of our more popular posts. So from earlier this spring, here is a look at how God blesses us in the midst of brokenness. Here is Crushed:

Have you ever had a bone crushed? No? Well, I have. And let me tell you in case you doubted...it hurts. Like...a lot. Like I've had two babies and the pain of a crushed bone totally trumps having two babies.

I repeat: a crushed bone is more painful than childbirth.

So, how did I break this bone, you ask? A skiing accident? Car wreck? Putting myself in harm's way to save a small child from wandering out into traffic?

Nope. I was a senior in high school and a varsity cheerleader...and I fell off the top of a pyramid.

The ridiculousness of it is not lost on me.

The days and weeks that followed the accident were excruciating. My left foot broke in half vertically and the small block of bone that connects my foot to my leg was shattered into several pieces. I missed weeks of school, took strictly-managed Vicodin to ease pain, and attended three-times weekly physical therapy sessions. I had a cast up to my knee, but it couldn't go all the way around my leg because of the three pins that for 8 weeks stuck three inches out of my foot. The cast instead was held on by an Ace bandage.

But the most heartbreaking consequence of the break was when we told my surgeon where I'd be attending college in the fall: the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I remember when he, very-matter-of-factly said, "Jennifer, I'm sorry but you can't go that far away. Your leg is still healing, still fragile. And I'll need you around for therapy."

But, I already had my dorm assignment. And a roommate. I was ready to sing "Rocky Top" and proudly wear that obnoxious shade of orange! Peyton Manning expected me to be there!

Bone crushed. Heart crushed, too.

Psalm 51:8 says, "Let the bones you have crushed rejoice."

In this Psalm David is experiencing some anguish of the soul. But David knows God. He knows this crushing of "bone," of spirit was momentarily painful, but ultimately for his spiritual good.

God was allowing David to experience hurt, so he could know greater things and live a better life.

That fall I began my college experience at a much smaller school than UT, a school only an hour away from my hometown - Western Carolina University.

That winter I met amazing friends. Friends who are still dear to me today.

That spring I laid eyes on the cutest boy I'd ever seen.

And four summers later I married him.

If not for my crushed bone:

I would not be his wife.

I would not be their mother.

I would not live this life.

I would not be this person.

We live through painful experiences both physical and emotional. But just like Joseph who experienced slavery, sexual harassment, and wrongful imprisonment we need to believe that God will mean all these things for good (Genesis 50:20).

A crushed bone. A crushed heart. A crushed spirit.

God loves you enough to give you momentary pain for eternal joy.

Almost twenty years after my injury there is still daily pain, still a slight limp, still more surgeries to be had in the future.

But that crushed bone paved the way for the greatest joys of my life.

So when I take that first stiff step in the morning or feel from the ache that it's about to rain or get "Is something wrong with your leg?" from a stranger I say, "Oh, that's just my crushed bone...and it's rejoicing."