"Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy."
~ John 16:20 (NKJV)
This world is filled with sorrow—sorrow that runs long and deep and wide. Although the Word of God and faith testify that "all things work together for good to those who love God" (Romans 8:28), deepest sorrows bring us to the place where "good" seems inconceivable and joy seems irretrievable. In such a place, we may think the best we can do is hang on and wait for Heaven.
Jesus speaks of a different hope.
"A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world."
~ John 16:21 (NKJV)
After carrying five children, I feel qualified on the subject of labor and childbirth. All five deliveries were thoroughly different experiences, with three common factors.
First, the misery of pregnancy went on for an excruciatingly long time. I stand 5'1" tall (154 cm.) and have a short waist. With little other space to fill, my babies pushed into my chest and against my ribs, making breathing difficult. Three trimesters of nausea didn't help. As I neared the end of nine months, each day became agony.
Then there's the extreme pain of delivery. The first time around, a failed epidural added to pain rather than relieved it, so I opted out of medication the remaining four times. I've heard passing kidney stones is worse than childbirth, but all my kids were bigger than my husband's biggest kidney stone, and he never reached the point of crying and exhaustion and screaming that I did.
The third common factor? Extreme exhilaration utterly obliterated all the preceding anguish. I've done some crazy thrilling stuff like skydiving, rappelling, high-speed driving on a track. But seeing a new human emerge from my own body and draw breath—bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh with a life of its own—? Nothing else comes anywhere close to the elation of giving birth.
In retrospect, all the agony was trivial. Each life is worth exceedingly more than the pain to birth it.
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
~ Psalms 30:5 (NKJV)
When I consider that the Holocaust re-birthed the nation of Israel in 1947, I wonder if anything less could have produced this miracle—a people surviving 1,877 years of exile and returning to their homeland as a sovereign nation. Hostile neighbors have threatened their existence for every one of the sixty-six years since, and the "Day of Jacob's Trouble" lies in the not-too-distant future. Israeli suffering persists. Yet the Jews persevere, their life and land worth the cost after centuries of persecution.
This world is filled with sorrow—sorrow that runs long and deep and wide. Longer than pregnancy, more painful than childbirth.
But just as pregnancy and childbirth are necessary to the resulting joy of a new life, the sorrows of this life are used by God to birth in us the life of His Son. While God is saving the greatest joys for Heaven, He may be relied upon to bring us joy each day on Earth. The people of God can ground our hope on the greatest joys following the greatest sorrows.
This is not a "hope," of the wishing variety. This is the hope, assured by Word of God.
"Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."
~ John 16:22 (NKJV)
Wherever else it may appear, joy is found in seeing Jesus near us, with us, in us.
God Almighty, Giver of life, You are good and faithful. Through dark nights, please let us feel Your life stirring within us. In the longest last hour, please enable us to persevere unto the first strains of dawn. When we are utterly spent, please carry us through to fullness of joy.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Showing posts with label Joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joy. Show all posts
Monday, June 3, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Answers for Religious Persecution
From the last post, "Religious Persecution," (which looked particularly at "in-house" persecution):
Persecution for displaying faith in Christ can be public or private. It may be physical, verbal or emotional abuse. It may be as serious as being killed, as simple as demeaning looks and snide remarks, as intimidating as threats to those we love. It comes from stranger and loved ones alike—and even from misguided Christians with whom we share faith.
Though it's the longest post I've ever offered, what I present here as a five-part answer to persecution only begins to address the suffering a person might endure for choosing to follow Christ. I nonetheless submit it with a prayer that God will use these words to strengthen—to "build up"—every one of His precious people being persecuted; to encourage anyone facing suffering of any kind.
~ ~ ~
1. Choose Jesus
"But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
~ Luke 10:42 (NKJV)
To choose Jesus is always to choose the good part. Whatever temptation there may be to "smooth things over" and simply quench faith, the better blessing will be found in Jesus every time. To choose Jesus is to follow both His example and His Spirit's guidance in each situation. Following Christ sometimes means holding our ground, and sometimes means yielding a right.
If persecution arrives as spousal abuse (physical, verbal, or emotional), it's especially painful to be mistreated by the person we love most, from whom love is most expected, with whom God unites us body and soul. It can be particularly difficult to discern when to stand up and when to stand down. If we cling first to Him, we can walk with God through even this.
However and whenever we are confronted face to face with immediate affliction, true faith remains fixed on the unseen (Hebrews 11:1) and the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) through the moment at hand.
2. Seek Relief from God
Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
~ Psalms 60:11 (NKJV)
Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
~ Psalms 146:3 (NKJV)
If physical violence is present or threatened, or if persecution violates civil rights, relief is sometimes sought through the courts, police, or other government agencies. Temporal relief is occasionally found, but government too often stands on the side of persecution.
Ideally, the church would never contribute to religious persecution, and would provide a measure of relief through all of life's trials by coming alongside its suffering members in support. But our churches are as imperfect as the humans who fill them, every Christian a work in progress. Whether or not church community lives up to the exhortation, "Bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2), reality is that "each one shall bear his own load" (Galatians 6:5).
In cases of maltreatment from a spouse, our local church might provide immediate encouragement and advice (including biblical information on separation and divorce), perhaps some short-term counseling, and maybe even appropriate confrontation. Maybe. More often, spousal abuse may be seen as marital conflict that's too private (or too messy) for involvement of the church, particularly without the cooperation of the spouse, or in the absence of adultery or civil law violation.
Especially in the USA, we seem to expect quick relief from trouble, via everything from pharmaceuticals to FEMA. Persecution defies remedy through assistance from others. True relief is available from only one Source. The Lord is sovereign over all the suffering He allows in our lives until it has accomplished His intent for it. God alone is able to deliver, whether He sends human assistance, calls His people to come alongside us as support, or works a heart change in a persecutor.
3. Ask for God's Sustenance
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
~ Isaiah 43:2-3 (NKJV)
Though God may not grant our request for relief from persecution, we can rely upon Him to sustain us through persecution. While we can count on God's strength to sustain us through any and all suffering, we can especially expect it when we suffer on His account.
Withdrawal is a common reaction to intense pain. We can become weary in prayer when the Lord does not grant, in our timing, requested relief from persecution. But may we never withdraw from prayer! We absolutely need divine strength to stand in the face of persecution. Whether or not He provides relief, He is ever faithful to provide strength in the needed hour if we will but ask.
We are never alone in persecution. The Lord promises to be with us. This is not merely a standing-next-to "with." Through His Holy Spirit, God lives inside of us. And being on the inside, He feels and experiences and goes through everything we go through, as fully as we do. When God says, "I will be with you," He and His sustenance are with us more completely than our finite minds comprehend.
4. Allow the Master to Own the Debt
For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave.
~ 1 Corinthians 7:22 (NKJV)
Persecution hurts. And the more we have invested in the life of persecutor, the more persecution for faith hurts. The pain of persecution can be accompanied by the pain of anger, or the pain of anger grown stale—bitterness. Full forgiveness is difficult, especially when we continue to face persecutor on a regular or even daily basis.
God owns persecutor and persecuted alike. When we willingly give ourselves to the Lord, we are blessed to know Him as a good and loving Master.
No slave owns himself or anything he holds. All belongs to the master. In the case of a debt, anything owed to the slave is actually owed to the slave's master.
In the case of offense or injury from persecution, our Master owns the debt. We can freely forgive persecutor without being burdened by the debt owed for his sin.
(For more on this thought, see "Forgiveness.")
5. Remember: Witnesses, Jesus, Joy
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross—despising its shame—and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, lest you become weary and lose heart.
~ Hebrews 12:1-3
• Whether or not actively persecuted for faith, every Christian is on trial, to prove the genuineness of faith in Jesus, every day. Our lives are lived out before human and heavenly witnesses alike (both the good and the evil), our words and actions testimony to the power of God. (For more on trial / temptation / testing, see "Deliver Us From Evil.")
• Endurance can be passive. But persecution begs active perseverance, like running a race—or violently fighting a war (Matthew 11:12). And perseverance requires focus. A runner sets his sights on the finish line. Our focus is on Jesus, seated at the right hand of God's throne, who holds His arms out to us, spurring us onward.
• With our fixed eyes on Jesus, we can push through this life's afflictions. We can be renewed in the past joy of the salvation He's given (Psalm 51:12); we can express joy that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus in the present (Acts 5:41); we can have joy in complete assurance of the future reward awaiting us.
" 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' "
~ Matthew 25:23 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Persecution for displaying faith in Christ can be public or private. It may be physical, verbal or emotional abuse. It may be as serious as being killed, as simple as demeaning looks and snide remarks, as intimidating as threats to those we love. It comes from stranger and loved ones alike—and even from misguided Christians with whom we share faith.
Though it's the longest post I've ever offered, what I present here as a five-part answer to persecution only begins to address the suffering a person might endure for choosing to follow Christ. I nonetheless submit it with a prayer that God will use these words to strengthen—to "build up"—every one of His precious people being persecuted; to encourage anyone facing suffering of any kind.
~ ~ ~
1. Choose Jesus
"But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
~ Luke 10:42 (NKJV)
To choose Jesus is always to choose the good part. Whatever temptation there may be to "smooth things over" and simply quench faith, the better blessing will be found in Jesus every time. To choose Jesus is to follow both His example and His Spirit's guidance in each situation. Following Christ sometimes means holding our ground, and sometimes means yielding a right.
If persecution arrives as spousal abuse (physical, verbal, or emotional), it's especially painful to be mistreated by the person we love most, from whom love is most expected, with whom God unites us body and soul. It can be particularly difficult to discern when to stand up and when to stand down. If we cling first to Him, we can walk with God through even this.
However and whenever we are confronted face to face with immediate affliction, true faith remains fixed on the unseen (Hebrews 11:1) and the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) through the moment at hand.
2. Seek Relief from God
Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
~ Psalms 60:11 (NKJV)
Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
~ Psalms 146:3 (NKJV)
If physical violence is present or threatened, or if persecution violates civil rights, relief is sometimes sought through the courts, police, or other government agencies. Temporal relief is occasionally found, but government too often stands on the side of persecution.
Ideally, the church would never contribute to religious persecution, and would provide a measure of relief through all of life's trials by coming alongside its suffering members in support. But our churches are as imperfect as the humans who fill them, every Christian a work in progress. Whether or not church community lives up to the exhortation, "Bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2), reality is that "each one shall bear his own load" (Galatians 6:5).
In cases of maltreatment from a spouse, our local church might provide immediate encouragement and advice (including biblical information on separation and divorce), perhaps some short-term counseling, and maybe even appropriate confrontation. Maybe. More often, spousal abuse may be seen as marital conflict that's too private (or too messy) for involvement of the church, particularly without the cooperation of the spouse, or in the absence of adultery or civil law violation.
Especially in the USA, we seem to expect quick relief from trouble, via everything from pharmaceuticals to FEMA. Persecution defies remedy through assistance from others. True relief is available from only one Source. The Lord is sovereign over all the suffering He allows in our lives until it has accomplished His intent for it. God alone is able to deliver, whether He sends human assistance, calls His people to come alongside us as support, or works a heart change in a persecutor.
3. Ask for God's Sustenance
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
~ Isaiah 43:2-3 (NKJV)
Though God may not grant our request for relief from persecution, we can rely upon Him to sustain us through persecution. While we can count on God's strength to sustain us through any and all suffering, we can especially expect it when we suffer on His account.
Withdrawal is a common reaction to intense pain. We can become weary in prayer when the Lord does not grant, in our timing, requested relief from persecution. But may we never withdraw from prayer! We absolutely need divine strength to stand in the face of persecution. Whether or not He provides relief, He is ever faithful to provide strength in the needed hour if we will but ask.
We are never alone in persecution. The Lord promises to be with us. This is not merely a standing-next-to "with." Through His Holy Spirit, God lives inside of us. And being on the inside, He feels and experiences and goes through everything we go through, as fully as we do. When God says, "I will be with you," He and His sustenance are with us more completely than our finite minds comprehend.
4. Allow the Master to Own the Debt
For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave.
~ 1 Corinthians 7:22 (NKJV)
Persecution hurts. And the more we have invested in the life of persecutor, the more persecution for faith hurts. The pain of persecution can be accompanied by the pain of anger, or the pain of anger grown stale—bitterness. Full forgiveness is difficult, especially when we continue to face persecutor on a regular or even daily basis.
God owns persecutor and persecuted alike. When we willingly give ourselves to the Lord, we are blessed to know Him as a good and loving Master.
No slave owns himself or anything he holds. All belongs to the master. In the case of a debt, anything owed to the slave is actually owed to the slave's master.
In the case of offense or injury from persecution, our Master owns the debt. We can freely forgive persecutor without being burdened by the debt owed for his sin.
(For more on this thought, see "Forgiveness.")
5. Remember: Witnesses, Jesus, Joy
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross—despising its shame—and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, lest you become weary and lose heart.
~ Hebrews 12:1-3
• Whether or not actively persecuted for faith, every Christian is on trial, to prove the genuineness of faith in Jesus, every day. Our lives are lived out before human and heavenly witnesses alike (both the good and the evil), our words and actions testimony to the power of God. (For more on trial / temptation / testing, see "Deliver Us From Evil.")
• Endurance can be passive. But persecution begs active perseverance, like running a race—or violently fighting a war (Matthew 11:12). And perseverance requires focus. A runner sets his sights on the finish line. Our focus is on Jesus, seated at the right hand of God's throne, who holds His arms out to us, spurring us onward.
• With our fixed eyes on Jesus, we can push through this life's afflictions. We can be renewed in the past joy of the salvation He's given (Psalm 51:12); we can express joy that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus in the present (Acts 5:41); we can have joy in complete assurance of the future reward awaiting us.
" 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' "
~ Matthew 25:23 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Chronic Pain and the Weak Optimist
Acute pain often accompanies injury. Given enough time, acute becomes chronic. Sometimes, despite doctors and their treatments, defying nutrition and prayer, chronic pain persists.
… a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me … I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." … Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses …
~ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
A familiar passage—yes? "My grace is sufficient" is oft quoted, a talisman to convey strength amid suffering. It's right up there with "God works all things for good to those who love Him" (Romans 8:28) and "the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
… I take pleasure in infirmities …
But how often do you hear a Christian quoting that phrase?
[C'mon, Paul—are you for real? (And people say Jesus has some hard sayings …)]
~ ~ ~
My default setting is optimist. When inconvenience strikes (like the dead car battery this morning), I try to remind myself that my time belongs to God (and then give Him thanks for car #2 while trusting Him for how to push a full sized van out of the garage to jump start it later). When something is damaged (like water ruining the basement carpet), I remind myself that it all belongs to God (and then rejoice at His gift of new indoor/outdoor carpet at a ridiculously low price). I consistently maintain a "can do" spirit when plans go awry (usually because I forgot to put something on the calendar and either I or our household's vehicles are double booked).
As a parent, I regularly look for the affirmative way to state directions rather than give a negative prohibition. "HEY! Finish your school work and then you can go outside" instead of "don't run in the house." "PLEASE speak kindly!" rather than "don't talk to your sibling that way." "Take a break from your chore so you can get some time by yourself for a little bit" seems more constructive than "your attitude stinks."
But Paul, through God's Word, pushes me toward a place the optimist has absolutely no desire to visit—a place where optimism wanes.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
Looking at this passage, I find comfort seeing "in" rather than "for" preceding "everything." There's sufficient struggle in thanking God for whatever good persists in the "everything" rather than for the everything that includes suffering. I readily confess that I'm not quite at the place where I "take pleasure" in a visit from Infirmities et al.
When speaking of that satanic messenger, the translators of 2 Corinthians 12:7 (above) take a little liberty in translating the Greek kolaphÃzō as "buffet." Surely they're simply trying to convey the buffeting implied by a strong wind. Perhaps the more literal meaning of "a blow, to strike with the fist" seems a little too physical when speaking of warfare that's spiritual.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
~ Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
(If you picture a wrestling match, it's about as physical as physical gets.)
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …
(True enemies are not human, no matter what any human may be responsible for.)
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …
(But we do wrestle while occupying flesh and blood that experiences chronic pain.)
~ ~ ~
This optimist occupies a human body that just three years ago felt like 25 (see "How Old?"), which has since then taken a … (ahem) "buffeting" [trying not to roll my eyes here]. The optimist makes jokes and laughs about the warranty running out when you turn 50.
Then I stop laughing and look for something deeper. I look for the strength found not in a 25-year old body, nor in a body that feels like 25—strength found only in weakness.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
~ 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV)
I ask God to renew the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51:12). And I reach for the joy of YHWH that transcends chronic pain and makes me stronger than I've ever been before.
"Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
~ Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
… a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me … I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." … Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses …
~ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
A familiar passage—yes? "My grace is sufficient" is oft quoted, a talisman to convey strength amid suffering. It's right up there with "God works all things for good to those who love Him" (Romans 8:28) and "the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
… I take pleasure in infirmities …
But how often do you hear a Christian quoting that phrase?
[C'mon, Paul—are you for real? (And people say Jesus has some hard sayings …)]
~ ~ ~
My default setting is optimist. When inconvenience strikes (like the dead car battery this morning), I try to remind myself that my time belongs to God (and then give Him thanks for car #2 while trusting Him for how to push a full sized van out of the garage to jump start it later). When something is damaged (like water ruining the basement carpet), I remind myself that it all belongs to God (and then rejoice at His gift of new indoor/outdoor carpet at a ridiculously low price). I consistently maintain a "can do" spirit when plans go awry (usually because I forgot to put something on the calendar and either I or our household's vehicles are double booked).
As a parent, I regularly look for the affirmative way to state directions rather than give a negative prohibition. "HEY! Finish your school work and then you can go outside" instead of "don't run in the house." "PLEASE speak kindly!" rather than "don't talk to your sibling that way." "Take a break from your chore so you can get some time by yourself for a little bit" seems more constructive than "your attitude stinks."
But Paul, through God's Word, pushes me toward a place the optimist has absolutely no desire to visit—a place where optimism wanes.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
Looking at this passage, I find comfort seeing "in" rather than "for" preceding "everything." There's sufficient struggle in thanking God for whatever good persists in the "everything" rather than for the everything that includes suffering. I readily confess that I'm not quite at the place where I "take pleasure" in a visit from Infirmities et al.
When speaking of that satanic messenger, the translators of 2 Corinthians 12:7 (above) take a little liberty in translating the Greek kolaphÃzō as "buffet." Surely they're simply trying to convey the buffeting implied by a strong wind. Perhaps the more literal meaning of "a blow, to strike with the fist" seems a little too physical when speaking of warfare that's spiritual.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
~ Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
(If you picture a wrestling match, it's about as physical as physical gets.)
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …
(True enemies are not human, no matter what any human may be responsible for.)
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …
(But we do wrestle while occupying flesh and blood that experiences chronic pain.)
~ ~ ~
This optimist occupies a human body that just three years ago felt like 25 (see "How Old?"), which has since then taken a … (ahem) "buffeting" [trying not to roll my eyes here]. The optimist makes jokes and laughs about the warranty running out when you turn 50.
Then I stop laughing and look for something deeper. I look for the strength found not in a 25-year old body, nor in a body that feels like 25—strength found only in weakness.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
~ 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV)
I ask God to renew the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51:12). And I reach for the joy of YHWH that transcends chronic pain and makes me stronger than I've ever been before.
"Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
~ Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Commandment Number 13, Conclusion:
Radical Joy
Our church drama team did a full length presentation (90 minutes?) earlier this year—"Baggage Claim"—set at a quirky bed & breakfast. I played giddy Clarisse, the hostess whose unearthy and radical joy causes her to dance her way across the lobby whenever she moves. Clarisse seems hilariously absurd until the final scene, when the allegory turns deadly serious and Clarisse is the angelic messenger of judgment.
I'm not accustomed to dancing for an extended period of time. During Act I, Scene Two, I had only a few lines, and spent most of the scene dancing in the background. The scene itself was perhaps 15–20 minutes, plenty of time to work up a respectable heart rate. But rehearsals could extend that time to a couple of hours, long enough to grow downright tired.
I'd never before considered seeing a day when I might rather sit down than dance. But the radical joy of the Lord births a truly unearthy strength.
Can you imagine what would happen if, during a live stage production, an actor or actress decided they'd had enough and dropped out? While such a character would rest, there'd be no joy in the performance. Every other disrupted actor would fumble to cover for the missing member. Critical lines could not be delivered effectively by the wrong person, and the story would be seriously impaired. The poor audience would be hopelessly confused, and leave the auditorium disappointed.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus …
~ Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Last week, someone close to me and dearly loved attempted suicide. Our unrelenting enemy the devil constantly bombards us with lies, Christians and non-Christians alike. If a person gives him an ear, he ruthlessly attempts to steal, kill and destroy whatever he can.
I understand how a person can become distracted enough from Jesus, or neglect spiritual armor, and begin to believe those lies.
This problem is never going to change.
There's no other way out of the pain.
It's okay to bow out a little early.
Yet there really is a time to dance, and a time to mourn; a time of war, and a time of peace. The script of our lives is not one we can skip out on. Yes, others would fumble and move on, but not without impairment. Our story incomplete, we'd never experience fullness of joy. And that great cloud of witnesses would be most disappointed.
… looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
~ Hebrews 12:2 (emphasis mine)
Among the enemy's most damaging and prevalent lies are these:
You're not loved enough.
Your love doesn't make any difference.
Love matters. Love is deadly serious.
While faith and hope will find their fulfillment and cease, love never ends.
As mentioned in Part Three ("Just One Thing"), we are commanded to love as Jesus loves us. Our Lord Jesus introduces His command while speaking of the Father's glory. Then among His final words before dying, He gives us another reason:
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
~ John 15:11-12 (NKJV)
If we are to find full joy—radical joy—we must love as Jesus loves us.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
I'm not accustomed to dancing for an extended period of time. During Act I, Scene Two, I had only a few lines, and spent most of the scene dancing in the background. The scene itself was perhaps 15–20 minutes, plenty of time to work up a respectable heart rate. But rehearsals could extend that time to a couple of hours, long enough to grow downright tired.
I'd never before considered seeing a day when I might rather sit down than dance. But the radical joy of the Lord births a truly unearthy strength.
Can you imagine what would happen if, during a live stage production, an actor or actress decided they'd had enough and dropped out? While such a character would rest, there'd be no joy in the performance. Every other disrupted actor would fumble to cover for the missing member. Critical lines could not be delivered effectively by the wrong person, and the story would be seriously impaired. The poor audience would be hopelessly confused, and leave the auditorium disappointed.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus …
~ Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Last week, someone close to me and dearly loved attempted suicide. Our unrelenting enemy the devil constantly bombards us with lies, Christians and non-Christians alike. If a person gives him an ear, he ruthlessly attempts to steal, kill and destroy whatever he can.
I understand how a person can become distracted enough from Jesus, or neglect spiritual armor, and begin to believe those lies.
This problem is never going to change.
There's no other way out of the pain.
It's okay to bow out a little early.
Yet there really is a time to dance, and a time to mourn; a time of war, and a time of peace. The script of our lives is not one we can skip out on. Yes, others would fumble and move on, but not without impairment. Our story incomplete, we'd never experience fullness of joy. And that great cloud of witnesses would be most disappointed.
… looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
~ Hebrews 12:2 (emphasis mine)
Among the enemy's most damaging and prevalent lies are these:
You're not loved enough.
Your love doesn't make any difference.
Love matters. Love is deadly serious.
While faith and hope will find their fulfillment and cease, love never ends.
As mentioned in Part Three ("Just One Thing"), we are commanded to love as Jesus loves us. Our Lord Jesus introduces His command while speaking of the Father's glory. Then among His final words before dying, He gives us another reason:
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
~ John 15:11-12 (NKJV)
If we are to find full joy—radical joy—we must love as Jesus loves us.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Why God Really Sent Jesus
At some point this Christmas season, you're likely to be reminded that Jesus was born for Crucifixion.
While we shouldn't avoid the messy yet necessary message of the cross, we also cannot point so emphatically at the cross that we lose the full circle truth of why God really sent Jesus. Obtaining our salvation wasn't the end that Jesus was born to achieve, but only the means to a far greater end.
God desires relationship with us.
Self-centered, prideful, fearful human nature frustrates relationship. We often have difficulty coming to the cross, either believing salvation from sin is unnecessary because we're good enough, or we think our sin too great to make us worthy of saving. Once we bring our sin to the cross and receive God's forgiveness and salvation, we tend to gravitate toward a new set of extremes—legalism or license. Whether or not we achieve a measure of balance there, we may become so enamored with Christianity that we drift away from abiding with the Christ:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
~ Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)
These words are spoken to people who are already part of the church—not to the unsaved nonbelievers, but to the lukewarm believers who've forgotten to keep on inviting Jesus into their lives for relationship. The Great Commission isn't to simply get people to the cross. Our Master asks His disciples—those who have walked with Him, who have shared His death and His life—to bring others into the same relationship.
"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love... These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
~ Jesus, John 15:7,9 (NKJV)
God did not merely step into flesh so that He might one day be crucified. God actually became a Man. He lived with us as One of us. He suffered and wept with us, ate and laughed and had fellowship with us. He even died—with us and for us—so that we might experience His resurrection and live with Him, every single day of our lives.
God didn't save us from our sin for only our own sake, nor for only His sake. He saved us for each other, that He might have intimate, loving, "exceeding joy" relationship with us.
Our Father, please don't let us settle for too little of You. Please use Your Spirit and Your Word and Your people to fulfill in each of us Your purpose of relationship with us, that our "joy may be full," every single day of the year. Please grant us the pleasure and privilege of bringing You joy.
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
While we shouldn't avoid the messy yet necessary message of the cross, we also cannot point so emphatically at the cross that we lose the full circle truth of why God really sent Jesus. Obtaining our salvation wasn't the end that Jesus was born to achieve, but only the means to a far greater end.
God desires relationship with us.
Self-centered, prideful, fearful human nature frustrates relationship. We often have difficulty coming to the cross, either believing salvation from sin is unnecessary because we're good enough, or we think our sin too great to make us worthy of saving. Once we bring our sin to the cross and receive God's forgiveness and salvation, we tend to gravitate toward a new set of extremes—legalism or license. Whether or not we achieve a measure of balance there, we may become so enamored with Christianity that we drift away from abiding with the Christ:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
~ Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)
These words are spoken to people who are already part of the church—not to the unsaved nonbelievers, but to the lukewarm believers who've forgotten to keep on inviting Jesus into their lives for relationship. The Great Commission isn't to simply get people to the cross. Our Master asks His disciples—those who have walked with Him, who have shared His death and His life—to bring others into the same relationship.
"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love... These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
~ Jesus, John 15:7,9 (NKJV)
God did not merely step into flesh so that He might one day be crucified. God actually became a Man. He lived with us as One of us. He suffered and wept with us, ate and laughed and had fellowship with us. He even died—with us and for us—so that we might experience His resurrection and live with Him, every single day of our lives.
God didn't save us from our sin for only our own sake, nor for only His sake. He saved us for each other, that He might have intimate, loving, "exceeding joy" relationship with us.
Our Father, please don't let us settle for too little of You. Please use Your Spirit and Your Word and Your people to fulfill in each of us Your purpose of relationship with us, that our "joy may be full," every single day of the year. Please grant us the pleasure and privilege of bringing You joy.
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Paradox: The Good God of Suffering
And no one laid hands on Jesus, for His hour had not yet come.
~ John 8:20 (NKJV)
Jesus—God made Man—was both Man of Sorrows during many hours, and faced an hour in which He was allowed to experience consummate suffering.
Perhaps the greatest of all life's paradoxes is the inescapable question of why a good God allows suffering. In searching out the full circle of truth to this paradox, we find an even greater paradox—that suffering is a primary medium in which God works:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NKJV)
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
~ James 1:2-3 (NKJV)
But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
~ 1 Peter 4:13 (NKJV)
Exceeding joy. This is the masterpiece God is at work to create in us.
The more that fire refines gold, the greater the glory of the gold. The more that suffering refines us, the greater the glory of our joy.
We reach the culmination of joy only through death, the gateway with potential for greatest suffering. Perfected joy is found not so much in leaving this world behind as it is in experiencing the fullness of God's presence, without the distractions of this world.
But even in current days, during this temporal era of suffering and darkness and death, we find exceeding joy when we choose to place ourselves in the presence of God amid the distractions—and through the suffering—of this world.
Exceeding joy. This is the masterpiece God is at work to create in us, through the medium of suffering, even as He created it in His Son, in His hour:
... Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith ... for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
~ Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)
Next time: bringing the paradox of Christmas and Crucifixion full circle.
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ John 8:20 (NKJV)
Jesus—God made Man—was both Man of Sorrows during many hours, and faced an hour in which He was allowed to experience consummate suffering.
Perhaps the greatest of all life's paradoxes is the inescapable question of why a good God allows suffering. In searching out the full circle of truth to this paradox, we find an even greater paradox—that suffering is a primary medium in which God works:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NKJV)
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
~ James 1:2-3 (NKJV)
But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
~ 1 Peter 4:13 (NKJV)
Exceeding joy. This is the masterpiece God is at work to create in us.
The more that fire refines gold, the greater the glory of the gold. The more that suffering refines us, the greater the glory of our joy.
We reach the culmination of joy only through death, the gateway with potential for greatest suffering. Perfected joy is found not so much in leaving this world behind as it is in experiencing the fullness of God's presence, without the distractions of this world.
But even in current days, during this temporal era of suffering and darkness and death, we find exceeding joy when we choose to place ourselves in the presence of God amid the distractions—and through the suffering—of this world.
Exceeding joy. This is the masterpiece God is at work to create in us, through the medium of suffering, even as He created it in His Son, in His hour:
... Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith ... for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
~ Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)
Next time: bringing the paradox of Christmas and Crucifixion full circle.
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, August 8, 2011
In Pursuit of Joy
Image source: National Geographic Throughout my Christian walk, joy has been the natural outflow from a heart of gratitude. Whatever other emotion might temporarily overtake me, my default perspective has been that God had no reason to redeem a wretch like me, and I am incredibly, thoroughly blessed to know Jesus. Who can't be happy about that?
The last two years have brought me adversity in more ways than might be openly shared. I've fought back the resulting darkness by the power and grace of God. The joy of my salvation still lives, but weariness has too often come to stifle that joy.
My heart desires its former exuberance.
If I know one thing about joy, it's that the path of joy is marked with gratitude. I sat down this morning and wrote out 100 things for which I'm truly grateful, which I've not always had. By the time I finished, I stood amazed at God's grace to me. I could only wonder, like the psalmist:
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
~ Psalms 8:3-4 (NKJV)
Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome.
Reply via comments at BuildingHisBody.com,
or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Road to Entitlement
Image source: sanitationupdates
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
~ Declaration of Independence of the United States of America
If there is a line to be drawn between justly affirming unalienable rights and selfishly demanding perceived rights, it might be summed up in the phrase entitlement mentality.
Entitlement mentality goes beyond, "I have a right to a comfortable wage, full coverage health care, and paid time off." It might also say:
I am entitled to live free of suffering / inconvenience / annoyance.
I am entitled to the honor of my children / love of my husband / respect of my wife.
I have accepted Jesus and am entitled to God's mercy.
I have obeyed God and have a right to His blessing.
I am entitled to what I want at another's expense.
Saints are not immune to the entitlement mentality which tends to assert itself as sin.
David—the man after God's own heart—saw himself as entitled to both intimacy with another man's wife and a reputation free of adultery. Moses—more humble "than all men"—resisted God's calling more than once, and argued that he shouldn't be burdened with responsibility for the Israelites. Job—"blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil"—nonetheless insisted that God owed him an explanation for his suffering.
These men and others of the Bible had happy endings once they shed their entitlement mentality. Jonah's story ends less happily because he clung to it. What bitter irony that in asserting what more we should have, we're never satisfied with what we've got.
"Amazing grace
(how sweet the sound!)
that saved a wretch like me ..."
~ John Newton
Is there a happier place than to be repulsed by one's sin, comprehend the condemnation sin has earned, and then receive the gift of God Himself and eternal life?
How do we detour from this path of joy and find ourselves on the broad road which both takes salvation for granted and believes we are entitled to something more?
Now godliness with contentment is great gain... And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
~ 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NKJV)
Powerful testimonies come from Christians who experience extreme suffering, who lack even adequate food and clothing, or who endure horrific persecution—and maintain the joy of their salvation.
Does being utterly destitute of everything except God make Him enough?
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation ...
~ Psalms 51:12 (NKJV)
If compelled to explain why I am entitled to anything more than the lowest caste Indian, who lives in a squatters' village built on a garbage dump, would asserting my U.S. nativity suffice?
If I wish to be restored to the joy of my salvation, perhaps the place to start is by exiting the road to entitlement and getting back on the path of believing I am a wretch who deserves nothing. Walking that road keeps me happily grateful for Him who is my All in All.
"I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant."
~ Genesis 32:10 (NKJV)
: : :
This post is part of a blog carnival hosted by Peter Pollock. You're invited to visit his site and see what others are saying about today's theme: ROAD.
Your comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are most appreciated. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Question of the Week:
What is Joy / Rejoicing?
Some of the [Christmas] words have been worn out. Can you put “glory,” “joy,” “Messiah / Christ,” etc. in today’s vernacular?
~ Don Kimrey
A wonderful Q&A theme for the Advent season is to revisit biblical definitions of these words. We'll insert the quintessential Christmas word “peace” for "etc.," and spread the answer out over four posts:
December 3: Glory
December 10: Joy / Rejoice
December 17: Peace
December 24: Messiah / Christ
: : :
~ Don Kimrey
A wonderful Q&A theme for the Advent season is to revisit biblical definitions of these words. We'll insert the quintessential Christmas word “peace” for "etc.," and spread the answer out over four posts:
December 3: Glory
December 10: Joy / Rejoice
December 17: Peace
December 24: Messiah / Christ
: : :
Image source: denverbroncos.com
The Finnish language has three dozen different words for snow. Some of us understand the difference between Colorado champagne powder, Michigan sleet, and springtime mashed potato snow—any of which may be a foreign concept to the Floridian.
The Bible has over two dozen Hebrew words and about a dozen Greek words used in 69 different ways to express joy and rejoicing, with an astounding variety of concepts. Three basic points that the Bible makes about joy and rejoicing are these:
• rejoicing actively shares unrestrained joy
• joy is commonly connected to labor or sorrow
• lasting joy springs from the Lord’s goodness
Some Hebrew & Greek words used to describe rejoicing include ideas of exult, cheer, make merry, gush, burst out, laugh, congratulate, celebrate, gleam, be bright, skip, jump, leap, dance, twirl, spin, spring, stomp, shout, boast, sing, scream, clamor, toss the head, enjoin, hurry eagerly.
Perhaps the clearest example of biblical-style rejoicing in our culture is watching sports fans, particularly at season’s finale. Otherwise staid and placid humans go into fanatical frenzy and embrace strangers when their team overcomes all others. I well remember being in the Denver crowd which threw a parade for the Broncos in 1978. After a thirteen losing seasons, we didn’t seem to mind that our team returned from Super Bowl XII as the NFL’s Number Two.
The Bible often describes the most intense joy following the most intense sorrow. Among Jesus’ last words before His cruel death were these:
"Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."
~ John 16:20-22 (NKJV)
I have never known a time when so many Christians are struggling through so many intense difficulties. Amid affliction, how do we produce the spiritual fruit of joy (Greek chara—delight, cheerfulness)?
We keep our hearts mindful of the blessings we do have by continually expressing thanks to God. We express love, because we know God's love. We remind ourselves often that of all the good things we might ask from God, He already offers us His greatest gift: His Son Jesus.
Now when [the shepherds] had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child... Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
~ Luke 2:17,20 (NKJV)
If you're able, picture the shepherds high-fiving and hugging one another, then jamming cell phone lines and putting Twitter & Facebook "over capacity" in the excitement to share their joy.
: : :
This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies. To see comments posted there click here.
What questions do you have about Christianity or the Bible? You're invited to leave them in the comments below (anonymous questions welcome), or email buildingHisbody [plus] @ gmail.com
© 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Currency of Joy
This post is part of a blog carnival hostessed by Bridget Chumbley. You're invited to visit her at "One Word at a Time" and see what others are saying about today's theme: Gratitude.
Desperate people come to a place where they are driven either by despair to give up, or by resolve to persevere beyond all reason and apparent ability.
When King David hit bottom, he believed in God's promise to never give up on him. From a place of abject despair, he did not give up on God. Though he had committed adultery and murder, David had the audacity to ask the Lord for joy and edification:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me with a generous spirit.
~ Psalms 51:12 (author)
In asking God to restore his joy, David asks for the spirit with which to take hold of it—a spirit of generosity, or noble liberality, toward God.
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully... God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you ...
~ 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NKJV)
Generosity comes easily from abundance. But in time of scarcity, generosity comes by sacrifice and great cost.
Generous expressions of gratitude to God for His blessings are fitting in times of abundance and easily sown. When thanksgiving and praise become a sacrifice—given from poverty, in famine of joy—it is not as easy to sow with a liberal hand. Yet if there will ever be a bountiful harvest, there must be bountiful sowing, even from a place of scarcity.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
~ Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV)
Gratitude is the currency with which joy is purchased. Joy eludes the ungrateful heart of complaint and discontent. The heart willing to sow gratitude with a generous spirit in time of famine will again reap abundant joy. In any economy, value is determined by the price one is willing to pay to obtain what one seeks.
To be desperate for joy offers a choice. Either give up, or pay out the currency of joy. It is tendered with gratitude, however high the price.
I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, "Seek My face,"
My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."
~ Psalms 27:6-8 (NKJV)
"Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment ...
It is a sin that is its own parent.
It arises not from the condition, but from the mind.
As we find Paul contented in a prison,
so Ahab discontent in a palace."
~ Matthew Henry
My thanks to Ginny at "Make a Difference to One" for the Matthew Henry quote.
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
"What we take for granted is never ours
until we have bought it by pain.
A thing is worth just what it costs."
~ Oswald Chambers
Desperate people come to a place where they are driven either by despair to give up, or by resolve to persevere beyond all reason and apparent ability.
When King David hit bottom, he believed in God's promise to never give up on him. From a place of abject despair, he did not give up on God. Though he had committed adultery and murder, David had the audacity to ask the Lord for joy and edification:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me with a generous spirit.
~ Psalms 51:12 (author)
In asking God to restore his joy, David asks for the spirit with which to take hold of it—a spirit of generosity, or noble liberality, toward God.
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully... God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you ...
~ 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NKJV)
Generosity comes easily from abundance. But in time of scarcity, generosity comes by sacrifice and great cost.
Generous expressions of gratitude to God for His blessings are fitting in times of abundance and easily sown. When thanksgiving and praise become a sacrifice—given from poverty, in famine of joy—it is not as easy to sow with a liberal hand. Yet if there will ever be a bountiful harvest, there must be bountiful sowing, even from a place of scarcity.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
~ Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV)
Gratitude is the currency with which joy is purchased. Joy eludes the ungrateful heart of complaint and discontent. The heart willing to sow gratitude with a generous spirit in time of famine will again reap abundant joy. In any economy, value is determined by the price one is willing to pay to obtain what one seeks.
To be desperate for joy offers a choice. Either give up, or pay out the currency of joy. It is tendered with gratitude, however high the price.
I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, "Seek My face,"
My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."
~ Psalms 27:6-8 (NKJV)
"Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment ...
It is a sin that is its own parent.
It arises not from the condition, but from the mind.
As we find Paul contented in a prison,
so Ahab discontent in a palace."
~ Matthew Henry
My thanks to Ginny at "Make a Difference to One" for the Matthew Henry quote.
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Expiration Date for Hope (Part II)
"Be joyful in hope ..."~ Romans 12:12 (NIV)
Expiration Date for Hope (Part II)
I've been living with the notion that waiting is painful, and Heaven is the end of waiting. My recent ‘aha’ moment was the realization that waiting—and therefore hope—continues in Heaven. The expiration date for hope isn't when we first get there (yesterday’s Part I).
But waiting in Heaven can’t be painful. It surely has the excitement of anticipation, the pleasure of assurance, and plenty of joy.
And joyful hope is not exclusive to Heaven, because God's Word directs us to “Be joyful in hope."
Waiting for painful circumstances to change and difficult people (including me) to change can deplete hope before the expiration date on me and it. Yet I’ve found at least three ways to persevere with true hope:
Give thanks. We live in a suffering world. No matter what expectations are fulfilled, this place will have pain. We still have abundance of blessings worthy of our attention and gratitude.
Love others. Nothing pushes me out from under a black cloud faster than recognizing that I can’t offer much love from that place. I need to clothe myself in joyful hope to love others.
Offer praise. I do not sing “It is well with my soul” when I look at me or my life and see defect, but when I look upon my Lord and call to mind His perfect love with faith and hope.
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
~ Philippians 1:20 (NIV)
We know that waiting is easier when we stay busy. The saints in Heaven stay busy giving thanks, expressing love, offering praise. If we do the same, we hasten the expiration on waiting—with joyful hope.
Lord, please help us keep our eyes on You, on others, and on Your blessings while we wait for You to fulfill all Your good promises.
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: flickr.com
Monday, May 3, 2010
Miserly with Misery
Today's post is part of the Blog Carnival hosted by Bridget Chumbley on the one word topic "Joy." Click the link for more great posts! :D
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
Miserly with Misery
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven ...
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance ...
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NKJV)
I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.
~ Philippians 4:11 (NKJV)
There is a time to permit sloppy emotions to spill onto those around us. When we rejoice with dancing and laughing, it is no time to be selfish. When we mourn a great loss, we should not attempt to carry the burden alone, but allow others to lovingly share it.
Then there is the time for everyday weeping. Affliction is a fact of life—a consequence of living in a sinful world which God promises to use for good.
And though misery may love company, the loving person will be miserly with misery rather than carelessly splattering it all over the place. Misery is best shared with those we trust to love and comfort us, who are strong enough to help us carry it rather than be infected with it, who are wise enough to dispel rather than duplicate it.
A good way to dispel misery is to adopt joy when it isn’t being birthed naturally.
The fourth chapter of Philippians is filled with uplifting words, written by Paul while he was imprisoned. Though in chains, Paul encouraged, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” He used the Greek verb chairo, meaning to be full of cheer, to be calmly happy, to rejoice.
Chairo is also expressed as the noun charis, translated quite simply as “grace.”
To adopt joy is to do no more than acknowledge with gratitude the great and many unearned and unmerited expressions of lovingkindness from benevolent Creator to us. It is to know when and how to share deep misery, and the ability to reach into our souls for much deeper contentment and instead share that with both God and fellow man.
Among the other words of encouragement Paul spoke from that prison were these:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)
My friends, amid affliction, I say to you from my own “much deeper contentment”—Rejoice!
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#Peace #QuietDesperation
Image source: dphotojournal.com
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
Miserly with Misery
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven ...
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance ...
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NKJV)
I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.
~ Philippians 4:11 (NKJV)
There is a time to permit sloppy emotions to spill onto those around us. When we rejoice with dancing and laughing, it is no time to be selfish. When we mourn a great loss, we should not attempt to carry the burden alone, but allow others to lovingly share it.
Then there is the time for everyday weeping. Affliction is a fact of life—a consequence of living in a sinful world which God promises to use for good.
And though misery may love company, the loving person will be miserly with misery rather than carelessly splattering it all over the place. Misery is best shared with those we trust to love and comfort us, who are strong enough to help us carry it rather than be infected with it, who are wise enough to dispel rather than duplicate it.
A good way to dispel misery is to adopt joy when it isn’t being birthed naturally.
The fourth chapter of Philippians is filled with uplifting words, written by Paul while he was imprisoned. Though in chains, Paul encouraged, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” He used the Greek verb chairo, meaning to be full of cheer, to be calmly happy, to rejoice.
Chairo is also expressed as the noun charis, translated quite simply as “grace.”
To adopt joy is to do no more than acknowledge with gratitude the great and many unearned and unmerited expressions of lovingkindness from benevolent Creator to us. It is to know when and how to share deep misery, and the ability to reach into our souls for much deeper contentment and instead share that with both God and fellow man.
Among the other words of encouragement Paul spoke from that prison were these:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)
My friends, amid affliction, I say to you from my own “much deeper contentment”—Rejoice!
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#Peace #QuietDesperation
Image source: dphotojournal.com
Friday, January 1, 2010
Friday Freelance: SONSHINE
"And I said to the one who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the Unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.' "
~ Minnie Haskins
~ Minnie Haskins
Friday Freelance: SONSHINE
Few green things tolerate my care. The pictured aloe is mine. Its survival mystifies me. Even a desert plant needs some moisture, and this southwestern wayfarer does well to be watered once a month. Yet it inexplicably sustains life from that trace H2O, its soil, the air, and the pathetic excuse for sunshine Michigan offers. And I know my aloe likes the sun. I can turn this plant any direction, and it stretches pitifully, achingly toward whatever sunlight penetrates clouds and walls.
Colorado is blessed with 300 days per year of sunshine. For 27 years I knew no other life, and took the sun for granted. My first Michigan winter offered five weeks straight of no sunlight. (Like the ancient tradition to stop at 39 lashes lest 40 prove too severe, we were spared a 40th overcast day.) Daylight does occur here—relative to nighttime—but sunlight is always a gift. More than once, I've had a native Michigander point to a momentarily visible patch of blue sky and say, "Sunshine!" I can only shake my head and choke back a sob.
That aloe defies death, speaks empathy to a sister transplant—and shows no ill-effect in sacrifice. I've discovered that fresh aloe generously applied to moderate burns will immediately and permanently remove the sting. A burn at my house means an aloe appendage is partially severed that a human may be healed and comforted. The gaping wound to the aloe soon closes. No matter how many times we cut it, my aloe thrives, continually producing new shoots.
The only evidence of its many sacrifices is the absence of bottom branches and the scars where once they grew. Lacking those longest branches for support, the aloe no longer leans gently toward the sun, but is now bent completely in the direction of light.
"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
~ Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)
2009 was a year of many cuts upon me. Each gaping wound closed, though scars remain in my heart. My body has yet to recover from the effects and reminds me daily of what's been sustained. Continued healing occurs as I bend myself low, stretching toward the Light. The Lord heals even as He uses me to accomplish healing where another has been burned.
I held a quiet pity party recently, inviting only me, myself and I. Of course, the devil loves a pity party, so one of his minions snuck in—unrecognized, unseen, but not unheard.
It's no fun to have such a small party. So I asked the Lord if I might include someone else. God is good. He sent me someone. Someone with real problems. Someone with good cause to have a pity party, who didn't succumb to that temptation, but simply called upon a friend.
At once I came to my senses, kicked the enemy out, and spoke words of Light. Guess what? The Sonshine appeared. Pity parties take place only in spiritual darkness, so my own party was done. The adage proves consistently true: If you want to cheer up yourself, set about cheering up someone else.
We walk in a dark world. We hold Light within us. The two will co-exist until Jesus establishes His reign. Darkness overtakes only if we do not actively choose to display Light. We must resolve: "When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, 'Blessed be the name of the Lord!' "
Press on toward what lies ahead. May Sonshine fill your life throughout 2010.
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved. #encouragement
Monday, October 19, 2009
Goodness of the Grape
"The vine said to them,
'Should I cease my new wine,
Which cheers both God and men ...?' "
~ Jotham, Judges 9:13
'Should I cease my new wine,
Which cheers both God and men ...?' "
~ Jotham, Judges 9:13
Goodness of the Grape
#biblestudy
Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and spied out the land [of Canaan] ... Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole... And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.
~ Numbers 13:20-21,23,25 (NKJV)
Praise the LORD, my soul! ...
You make wine to cheer human hearts,
olive oil to make faces shine,
and bread to strengthen human hearts.
~ Psalms 104:1,15 (GW)
Here's a thumbnail history of grapes and wine in ancient Israel.
In Israelite culture, the grape and its wine—its blood—symbolized health and wealth, joy and prosperity. Beer was cheap, intoxicating drink produced from common barley, familiar among Egyptians, Philistines, and other peoples. Wine was produced from grapevines which required careful attention, and took up to ten years to produce good grapes—not possible unless one was peaceably settled in the land for an extended time.
Tiyrosh (fresh grape juice, or "new wine") was available only at late summer grape harvest. Yayin (intoxicating wine) was far more than a beverage. It was important to purify water, cleanse wounds, and aid digestion. It was one of the offerings God required to be presented daily at the temple. And while some covenants might be sealed in the blood of an animal, joyful covenants such as betrothals and weddings were sealed with this blood of grapes.
The Bible has numerous mentions of grape harvest as a joyful celebration which crowned the harvest, perhaps comparable to our Thanksgiving. Treading the grapes was accompanied by dancing and music. To this day, it is not uncommon to find Mediterranean region grapes as big as plums, in clusters up to 45 lbs. Many varieties of grapes begin ripening around the beginning of August (others as late as mid-September), with the harvest lasting about forty days.
While the Bible has numerous examples of harmful overindulgence in wine and warnings against drunkenness, the prevailing image is of the vine and all its fruit being representative of God's highest blessing. When the twelve spies returned from their expedition with an enormous cluster of grapes, they demonstrated that the land was not simply adequate, but contained exceedingly abundantly above all what the Israelites might ask or think.
Tomorrow, more about the spies, and about trust.
Father in Heaven, You created only good in the earth. We long for the day when you will eliminate all the havoc our sin has wrought upon Your creation. Even now, please enable us to see Your exceedingly-abundantly-above-all-we-might-ask-or-think blessings.
On a personal note: This is not intended as an argument for drinking wine. I respect the views of Christians who choose to abstain from alcoholic beverages.
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Photo from vineyardrobertdouglas.com
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart
Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
~ Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV)
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth! …
Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live …
I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
~ Psalm 119:103,116, 162 (NKJV)
This weekend concludes a two-week visit with family in Colorado. We timed our visit to attend a wedding filled with “joy and rejoicing of heart.” Any time with my family is a joy and rejoicing of my heart. And because so many of them are Christ’s, we share a love that shall transcend eternity.
Several people have expressed surprise that I’ve continued to post to my blog while away from home. I’ll confess it’s been tough to find the time. Most posts don’t take that much time to write. Far more demanding is time set aside for reading and digesting God’s Word amid so many extra distractions.
My commitment to these daily posts makes me accountable to staying in the Word. (There is a record before all of you if I fail to do so.) But more importantly, if God’s Word is not the first source of joy and rejoicing of my heart, it will not be found elsewhere.
Bread of Life, You sustain as nothing else does. Living Word, You fill us with love and laughter and LIFE! Whatever else we rejoice over—wherever else joy is found—let it ever and always be first in You.
Your feedback is appreciated. (Some days it keeps me going.)
Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Seek the Kingdom
"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
~ Luke 12:31-32 (NKJV)
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
~ Psalms 37:3-4 (NKJV)
I love my life with the Lord.
Before I started walking with him, I was young and single, successful and doing as I pleased. I looked great on the outside but was a complete mess on the inside, operating under the illusion that I had control of my life. I was thoroughly miserable and had no clue why.
Then I gave the Lord my life. I'm now young in heart and married, struggling to succeed at writing and doing as my family pleases. My house is a manageable mess—but I look great inside and out because I am thoroughly loved and know it.
I no longer want control of my life, because God does so much better with it. He gives me an expense account (some years more generous, some years less so) and provides high-cost additional training without me even asking. I love my job—seek His kingdom and delight in Him.
And because my delight is found in Him, it is an easy matter for Him to give me Himself, the desire of my heart.
My Lord and my God, You've not ordained an easy path through this world for us. But You give us Yourself and our needs. How can we desire any more? Please draw us to read Your Word and pray—to better know You, better love You, better trust You, better serve You. In hours of trial, I beg You to lead us to seek the kingdom of God.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Luke 12:31-32 (NKJV)
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
~ Psalms 37:3-4 (NKJV)
I love my life with the Lord.
Before I started walking with him, I was young and single, successful and doing as I pleased. I looked great on the outside but was a complete mess on the inside, operating under the illusion that I had control of my life. I was thoroughly miserable and had no clue why.
Then I gave the Lord my life. I'm now young in heart and married, struggling to succeed at writing and doing as my family pleases. My house is a manageable mess—but I look great inside and out because I am thoroughly loved and know it.
I no longer want control of my life, because God does so much better with it. He gives me an expense account (some years more generous, some years less so) and provides high-cost additional training without me even asking. I love my job—seek His kingdom and delight in Him.
And because my delight is found in Him, it is an easy matter for Him to give me Himself, the desire of my heart.
My Lord and my God, You've not ordained an easy path through this world for us. But You give us Yourself and our needs. How can we desire any more? Please draw us to read Your Word and pray—to better know You, better love You, better trust You, better serve You. In hours of trial, I beg You to lead us to seek the kingdom of God.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
My Cup Runneth Over
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted...
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine!
~ Psalms 80:14-15,18-19 (NKJV)
Thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
~ Psalms 23:5 (KJV)
"Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink ...?"
~ Matthew 20:22 (NKJV)
Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
~ Luke 22:20 (NKJV)
"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me." ... And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
~ Luke 22:42,44 (NKJV)
The significance of the grapevine cannot be understated. Grain represented survival. The olive and its oil represented light and health and anointing. The grapevine's fruitfulness and wine represented covenant and joy—but its cup was also associated with the most bitter sorrow and suffering.
Our inclination is to avoid sorrow. But in plumbing the depths of sorrow we also discover the heights of joy. "My cup runneth over" can refer to either place.
It is said, "God in His goodness has sent the grape / to cheer both great and small; / little fools will drink too much / and great fools not at all." When my cup runneth over—whether with faith's joy or sorrow—prayer and praise are lifted before God.
Oh God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You. I gladly share my Lord's cup of rejoicing and suffering now. We anxiously wait, Lord, to again share Your cup, with You, in the Father's kingdom.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
~ John 15:5 (NKJV)
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
And visit this vine
And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted...
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine!
~ Psalms 80:14-15,18-19 (NKJV)
Thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
~ Psalms 23:5 (KJV)
"Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink ...?"
~ Matthew 20:22 (NKJV)
Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
~ Luke 22:20 (NKJV)
"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me." ... And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
~ Luke 22:42,44 (NKJV)
The significance of the grapevine cannot be understated. Grain represented survival. The olive and its oil represented light and health and anointing. The grapevine's fruitfulness and wine represented covenant and joy—but its cup was also associated with the most bitter sorrow and suffering.
Our inclination is to avoid sorrow. But in plumbing the depths of sorrow we also discover the heights of joy. "My cup runneth over" can refer to either place.
It is said, "God in His goodness has sent the grape / to cheer both great and small; / little fools will drink too much / and great fools not at all." When my cup runneth over—whether with faith's joy or sorrow—prayer and praise are lifted before God.
Oh God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You. I gladly share my Lord's cup of rejoicing and suffering now. We anxiously wait, Lord, to again share Your cup, with You, in the Father's kingdom.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
~ John 15:5 (NKJV)
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Necessity is Laid Upon Me
"For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
~ Acts 4:20 (NKJV)
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
~ 1 Corinthians 9:16 (NKJV)
Let everything that has breath praise YHWH.
Hallelu Yah!
~ Psalms 150:6 (author)
I thank every one of you who reads this, because through you God is fulfilling the desire of my heart. What His Spirit puts in me cannot be contained there. I cannot but speak about my God. Indeed, necessity is laid upon me to share Him everywhere, and to be grateful for all who hear.
There was a time when I was criticized as way too showy about my faith. Sundays were a bittersweet time. Praise time was always conducted with upmost decorum rather than the exuberance in my soul. I entered church hoping for an opportunity to share the Lord, rejoiced if I received such an opportunity, and then weathered disdain for being so vocal.
The Lord has brought me to a church with an enthusiastic music pastor, praise orchestra and choir. My drama team director encourages me to be "over the top" in every performance which gives testimony to my Lord. And I am blessed with this blog, an unedited forum to declare Him.
Thank you for the moments of your day you give to consider the wonders of our God.
Oh my Lord, I can hardly bear the love You've put in me for You. You are exceedingly more glorious than the creation presented as Your gift. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant. Please cause this blog to be seen by whomever You will, richly bless each of them, and speak to their hearts through me.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
~ Acts 4:20 (NKJV)
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
~ 1 Corinthians 9:16 (NKJV)
Let everything that has breath praise YHWH.
Hallelu Yah!
~ Psalms 150:6 (author)
I thank every one of you who reads this, because through you God is fulfilling the desire of my heart. What His Spirit puts in me cannot be contained there. I cannot but speak about my God. Indeed, necessity is laid upon me to share Him everywhere, and to be grateful for all who hear.
There was a time when I was criticized as way too showy about my faith. Sundays were a bittersweet time. Praise time was always conducted with upmost decorum rather than the exuberance in my soul. I entered church hoping for an opportunity to share the Lord, rejoiced if I received such an opportunity, and then weathered disdain for being so vocal.
The Lord has brought me to a church with an enthusiastic music pastor, praise orchestra and choir. My drama team director encourages me to be "over the top" in every performance which gives testimony to my Lord. And I am blessed with this blog, an unedited forum to declare Him.
Thank you for the moments of your day you give to consider the wonders of our God.
Oh my Lord, I can hardly bear the love You've put in me for You. You are exceedingly more glorious than the creation presented as Your gift. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant. Please cause this blog to be seen by whomever You will, richly bless each of them, and speak to their hearts through me.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Exceeding Joy
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.
(Psalms 43:3-4 NKJV)
Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:44-46 NKJV)
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27 NKJV)
Far too often, inner turmoil drives us in relentless and fruitless search for peace—peace through another’s counsel, in withdrawal from life, or in our favorite comfort food / addiction (obsession) / idol ("what would – do?"). How often do we stumble around looking for an answer in needless darkness simply because we didn’t first look for the Light?
The Light always brings us to the Father. If we seek Jesus, the Light of the World, we will find Him and we will see the Father. And in the presence of God—beyond the altar of painful sacrifice—is exceeding joy.
Father, in You is light, life, and love. You are the fullness of goodness, peace, and wisdom. When life on earth is difficult and anxious, please remind us to seek the peace of Your presence where darkness flees.
Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.
(Psalms 43:3-4 NKJV)
Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:44-46 NKJV)
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27 NKJV)
Far too often, inner turmoil drives us in relentless and fruitless search for peace—peace through another’s counsel, in withdrawal from life, or in our favorite comfort food / addiction (obsession) / idol ("what would – do?"). How often do we stumble around looking for an answer in needless darkness simply because we didn’t first look for the Light?
The Light always brings us to the Father. If we seek Jesus, the Light of the World, we will find Him and we will see the Father. And in the presence of God—beyond the altar of painful sacrifice—is exceeding joy.
Father, in You is light, life, and love. You are the fullness of goodness, peace, and wisdom. When life on earth is difficult and anxious, please remind us to seek the peace of Your presence where darkness flees.
Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind
"Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt." (Genesis 41:29-30 NKJV)
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NKJV)
It is entirely too easy to be overcome with the moment’s affliction, and forget the unseen—both the plentiful blessings which came before and the incredible joy to follow.
But we walk by faith, not sight. We remember the faithfulness our mighty God has demonstrated innumerable times in the past. We believe Jesus is our Mediator with our Father, and the Holy Spirit is our Counselor, Comforter and Keeper in the present. We confidently wait for the weight of glory, exceeding and eternal, lying in the not-so-distant future.
Holy Spirit, thank You for living in temporal flesh. Give us Your passion for the Son of God. Draw us to the Word and show us more of all we do not see.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. © 2008, Anne Lang Bundy
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NKJV)
It is entirely too easy to be overcome with the moment’s affliction, and forget the unseen—both the plentiful blessings which came before and the incredible joy to follow.
But we walk by faith, not sight. We remember the faithfulness our mighty God has demonstrated innumerable times in the past. We believe Jesus is our Mediator with our Father, and the Holy Spirit is our Counselor, Comforter and Keeper in the present. We confidently wait for the weight of glory, exceeding and eternal, lying in the not-so-distant future.
Holy Spirit, thank You for living in temporal flesh. Give us Your passion for the Son of God. Draw us to the Word and show us more of all we do not see.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. © 2008, Anne Lang Bundy
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