Beauty

 

As the leaves rustle across the ground

In the cool autumn breeze

I gaze at Your creation

Where Your beauty is clearly seen

 

I see Your beauty as the sun comes up

It’s written across the sky

As the sun warms me, I feel Your love

When nighttime settles, I wonder why

 

Why You choose to share such beauty

With one who fails You every day

Though I fall short time and again

Each morning You meet me anyway

 

In the quiet moments I sit and think

In awe of what I see

As the wind blows by, I hear Your voice

Whispering to me…

 

You notice the beauty around you

The intricacies through and through

But as splendid as this all appears

My beauty is wrapped up in you…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggGwDrxrC2k&feature=related

Reveal to Heal

 

 

"Praise the Lord. I'm blessed" are often things you hear repetitiously in church when asking someone how they are doing. I understand the need to be positive. I understand that we are not to live by our feelings. I understand we need to confess what the Word says about us. BUT I also know there are people right in our churches who are broken. They fear saying how they really feel because "that wouldn't be faith talk." 

 

It is time for the church to become a safe haven; a place where people can reveal in order to heal. Do we camp out on the problem? No. But once we know there is a problem, we can offer the solution. I encourage everyone to be more sensitive to the inner cries of those around you. You have in you what people need to be free. However, you can't help them if you don't know help is needed. We need to make ourselves available so that His healing power can flow through us. 

And remember: Healing is a process. Helping someone who is emotionally broken requires time and a whole lot of patience. A lot of people do not want to invest that kind of commitment in the lives of others. This then leaves us with churches full of people putting on their “church face” and never being real with one another. Is this what “church” is supposed to be all about?

“The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity” Luke 4:18

 

All that’s hidden

 

 Must be revealed

Nothing gets past Your eyes

You know the darkness underneath

You know the inner cries

 

You want to peel the mask away

And erase all of the fakeness

You are not pleased with the lies

You’ve come to expose the weakness

 

You desire that all of Your children

Would have oneness with each other

But these walls are such a hindrance

Of us being real to one another

 

You know everything about us

The reasons we are insecure

Only You have the answer

To release us from this fear

 

It can’t be done in our own strength

The supply comes from only You

Deliver us from this bondage, Lord

Make us a people who walk in truth

Character

Our character, if not developed and matured, will eventually catch up with us and knock us down from the platform in which our gifting and talents have taken us.

We all have seen it. Highly gifted performers who have the world's attention but lack of character shows through in their actions and their credibility is marred. Ministers, oftentimes those with a worldwide voice, but EVENTUALLY their character flaws shine through and it's the very thing that dethrones them from their position. Marriages that appeared "OK" suddenly end in divorce. The "perfect" child becomes the prodigal... Why? Because the hidden issues of the heart have been ignored.

"The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them." Proverbs 11:3

Our greatest weaknesses, if left undealt with, will surface to the top. You can only wear a mask for so long. The rubber band eventually snaps and what used to hide you has now left you revealed. The self constructed platform that once elevated your ego comes crashing down from the weight of the junk that was left unchecked.

Bandaids are not a substitute for surgery. Developing our character is a deep work that requires facing our heart issues not covering them up. Building godly character takes place in quiet, "at the feet of Jesus" times: diligently exposing ourselves to the Word of God and letting it shine a light on those areas that do not line up.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Psalm 139:23-24

Slow down and take a look at who you are. Not who you lead others or yourself to believe. Not what your reputation says about you. Who are you when no one else is looking? What heart attitudes reign behind your smile? What would God say about your character?

Lord, we all have "stuff" that we cover up so beautifully. On the outside everything looks good and yet inside their is decay that needs a touch from You. Whatever it is in our lives that is keeping us from fully serving and pleasing You, please shine a light on it. Shine Your light on the ugly parts so that we can, with Your help, become all You have called us to be. We want to be a living example of Christ in the earth - not a false representation that gives Him a bad name because of our undealt with "stuff." We love You, Lord, and we desire to become more and more like You.