Psalm 24:1
I wanted to write a follow-up post since the last one on March 12, 2023 -- Being and Shining. And I did try....several times. In fact I spent quite a bit of time and a number of different ways in efforts to express what was in my heart, but to no avail. The simple truth? The blog had become a "work" like everything else in my life. Instead of the enjoyment of simply sharing my heart, and the goodness of God I had come to a place where there was no joy in my life...so how could I share that? My light had flickered. My true Light had become hidden under a weight of cares-under the "bushel" of tiredness, dwindling hope and human effort.
So what does one do at a time like that? The hard thing, of course- let go of the tight hold of the end of the frazzled rope we're grasping for dear life (by what faith we may have left) and trust that God really is there to catch us. Once we've done that, though full of uncertainty and fear, wave the white flag of surrender while laying down EVERYTHING to Him in a way we never fully knew we needed to until we had our own personal "end of the rope" experience! Yes! It is this simple....and this difficult... and this fearful-- to finally let that old independent nature of ours fully die without a clue as to how it all will play out!... mm-hmm. Really.
Jesus gave us several examples of the need to travel the "surrendered road" with Peter....I know everyone picks on him, but he was called to greatness and Jesus knew he could handle it! So, how about when Peter, the fisherman by trade, thought he knew more about fishing than Jesus did until later he had to bow to Him saying, " Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." This was after Jesus told him to go cast his nets on the other side of the boat after Peter told Jesus they had already fished all night without catching a thing, but none-the-less...suggesting, well, you know! Then again in Matthew 26:69-75 Peter cursed while denying he even knew Jesus! But after his repentance, full surrender to Jesus and baptism in the Holy Spirit, Peter was transformed from a man who could be pressured into cursing like a sailor to one who spoke the oracles of God!
Peter's surrendered life led him successfully to the place where his light shined to all as from a lampstand rather than one limited, buried under a bushel of fleshly hindrances.
The first requirement of our light shining brightly necessitates our receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. After all He Is the true Light and when we receive him we become new creations in Him and are changed from actually being darkness in our spirits into instantly being made light even as He is Light. But we are babes indeed in understanding and have to grow into maturity in learning how to become sons of God! Often it takes long periods of great stress and distress to bring us to a place of understanding just how much we've relied on ourselves ever so much more than we dreamed. But truly, only He by His word and Spirit knows how to reveal our hearts to us as the Word shows us in Hebrews 4:12:
For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
And do know, with His revealing there is also healing, His only purpose for revealing anything to us is to bring us into wholeness, to shine light on areas of our heart for correction, protection and direction and to give greater wisdom and understanding. As the Word tells us His mercies are new every morning. I believe most of us may not be good receivers because of the general harshness and even cruelty, we've experienced in our everyday lives and these are what we've come to know and expect....especially over these last few years (and after all, some of us may even think it's our job to take on the responsibility of making things better for everyone!) The effects of these hardships and difficulties can become roadblocks within which limit our ability to accept the goodness of people much less the goodness of our Creator. This kind of knowledge, these roadblocks, are the strongholds which limit us and are the very things He wants to help us begin to dismantle. All these things are carried over even after our born again experience and require the cooperative effort of the Holy Spirit and us to begin to look at and tear down in order to begin to experience a better more peaceful and productive life for ourselves and those we love.
It's not always easy to participate in the process with Him, but it's well worth getting to know Him on a deeper level, a healing, greater peace level which begins to affect every part of our lives. All I can say is that becoming a greater receiver of grace is a fa-a-a-ar better way to live than not--even as the word says in Romans 5:17;
For if by one man's offence [Adam's] death reigned by one; much more they which receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (emphasis, mine)
All I can add to this now is that living a lifestyle of becoming better acquainted with casting my net on the other side, whichever side that is, because He always knows what side is best for the best results! And how great it is not ever having to travel this journey alone!....and leaving behind having to "figure out" the best way to go!