This morning’s sermon was entitled: Expect the Unexpected. Which flooded my heart with thoughts. So much so, that I faded in and out of the topic at hand. ☺ Lets face it, It happens. Its better than sleeping through it!
First, Carter began by discussing John the Baptist and how confused he was when he heard Christ has come. All because in his mind, he had developed a “picture” of whom The Christ would be.
As I listened I began to think how his confusion teaches us how dangerous it is to box in the fullness of God! We miss so much of who God is, what He wants to show us, how He wants to bless up and who He wants to be to us when we define His limitations to a “box” in which we draw lines on. Lines that do not fathom how big He is. When we are so busy looking inside our own expectations, we miss who He is outside our understanding. It is when we expect the unexpected, that we see who He is. Although the fullness of God is beyond our inadequate comprehension, we get a glimpse that He exceeds our expectations in full!
When an object is focused on, the outside realm is often blurred if seen at all, but when it comes to God, if we simply take our focus off the expectation or human understanding of who He is, and fix our eyes on the “gray, blurred vision,” that is where we will see the God that will bring us to our knees with humble tears of adoration and awe!
In the past few weeks I have been learning about the Law and Grace. I have learned that God created the Law (ten commandments) with the inability to perfect us while demanding perfection. However, in doing so, we are faced with the reality that we need Grace! That need draws us to a God that gives unending amounts of Grace to forgive, to grow and to transform us. ‘Law reveals our deficiency, Grace offers us the remedy!’ And in living under Gods grace, we are free to trust in His work, in our progress. Letting go of the strain and determination to be better, and in doing so we are made better. Healed of our imperfections and shame to exist with a measure of grace that allows our head to be held high and our shoulders back with pride in the Lord, humility in ourselves, and expectations of “anything” to come. When we accept an increased measure of grace, it returns an increase of stability, which increases the demonstration of the transformation taking place in us. We will change before our own eyes to become the potential GOD saw in us the day He spoke us into motion.
Today I saw a couple broken down on the side of the road. I have been trying to be more in-tune to opportunities that God wishes to use me. And in praying for this, I felt I needed to stop. Two exits, one “legal” U-turn and a few darted vehicles later I pulled in behind the stranded family. As I got out and asked if I could help in any way, they returned w a hurried “no.” I walked back to my car foolish, wondering if they were humored and laughing at this girl in a skirt and heels asking to help, but I knew if I hadn’t stopped I would have been burdened by not knowing if I could have been of some help. As I reached my vehicle, I paused. Standing still on the side of the interstate. As the cars rushed past me at what seemed like a million miles an hour, it calmed my spirit and gave an incredible peace! I always imagined that being stranded on the side of the road would offer panic and anxiety, however, as I pulled off today and was out of my car…it was the most amazing moment…all 3 sec of it! As I got back in my car, confused why I had such a burden in my heart to offer help when it wasn’t needed, I realized at that moment IT WAS FOR ME, not them! We all move at a million miles an hour with work, family, friends, even church and service. We, like the cars, fly through life missing moments of stillness. The moment before I stepped back into the car, I connected with God! It was humbling! He stands and waits for us to pause in this hectic life and breath Him in! To sit with Him a while, even if for just a moment and soak in His grace and love! I need to choose more often to stop, to breathe and to allow Him to fill me with grace! Trust me, connecting with God where He is…is so much more fulfilling than letting Him meet us where we are. The difference is in the voluntary and involuntary action of the moment! When we encounter God where we are it is often because HE has chosen to grab our attention. When we meet our God where HE is…we experience His fullness by choice! We are still, calm and reverent. We grasp his infinite existence and understand how BIG and Good He truly is!
Two songs have been heavy on my heart this week…and by heavy, I mean in a ministering way…they have “fed my spirit and encouraged my heart!” I hope they do the same for you!
Beautiful by Kari Jobe
What do I know of Holy by Addison Road
A glimpse ... if that will suffice.
