The Way

John 14:6a
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life."

Well, I got my answer this morning to my question regarding where to start on our journey. "Jesus answered ‘I am the Way the Truth and the Life.’" Yep! We are to passionately pursue Him (there it is - He keeps bringing me back to this. You’d think I’d get it by now!) and not worry about where we’re going, but rather how we’re getting there. We must follow Him, eyes fixed on our Lord, our Friend, our Lover.

I believe this to be true in absolutely every situation. That is why my life motto is to "Passionately Pursue God" in all that I do. When we’re in a difficult situation and don’t know how to get out - follow God. In debt up to our ears? Trust Jesus to lead the way. Stepping out in faith and not sure where to start? Christ will take us step-by-step. In any and every situation, no matter how large the mountain, Jesus is the way over, through, or around it. When we don't know where to go, how to get out, what to do, or even feel as though we can't go another step, we are to look up, at the One who does know, the only One who can really help.

We must trust Him, and follow Him, even when the way gets rocky, and difficult. In the long run, having done things His way will put us in a much better place than taking our own way. We must focus on Him, not thinking about what is to the left or the right - simply looking straight ahead, knowing that with God as our Guide, we can’t go wrong.

He is the Way in any and every situation. He is our way through this life, into the next. Will you trust Him? Will you follow Him?

Arise

Song of Songs 2:10
My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me."


Last night I spent some time with God before I went to bed just asking Him where we are to go now that we have decided to embark on this journey. We’ve walked out the front door, and now it’s time to hit the trail, but I don’t have a clue where we’re going, so I thought I would consult our Adventure Guide. I just poured out my heart to Him in my journal, asking that He would guide us, teach us, and ultimately, reveal Himself to us. Then, having nothing to share, I just went to bed hoping and praying my answer would come in the morning. I had no idea . . .

5:30 rolls around and God wakes me up - 5:30 on the dot (He’s so punctual - I was expecting Him at 5:30 ish). I glance at the clock, knowing that He has awakened me to spend some time with Him, but rather than obey, I chose to roll over and go back to sleep. I finally dragged myself out of bed at 6:20, only to get about half of my quiet-time done (and I did all the talking) before the kids decided to join me. I was disappointed - with myself more than anything. Why is it that I have such trouble getting out of bed to spend time with God? I know I need to obey, but it’s just so difficult.

Then, I felt the stirring. As I sat reflecting on my attitude toward this time with God, especially compared to how I used to feel about it not so long ago, God revealed my problem to me. I was looking at this time as a duty to be performed, something to be obeyed, and tolerated. Another discipline I need to become more Christ-like. Is that how you feel?

Well, that is not what He is calling us to! He is not demanding we spend this time with Him - He is inviting us to some one-on-one time. He is asking us to spend some much needed alone time with Him, our Lover. Like a midnight rendevous, He is wooing us and luring us away from all others, to speak to us in the still of the wee hours! Isn’t that amazing that He would desire to do that with us? Verse 14 of this same chapter says, "My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely." (Emphasis mine) Isn’t that breath-taking?

God does not simply want to teach us and challenge us during this time. I would almost say that that is His purpose for studying His Word. No, I would say that during this time, He wants to spend the time loving us - delighting us, and having us delight in Him. He wants to see our lovely faces, and hear our sweet voices! Wow! That is when we will really begin to know Him.

So, the next time God wakes you up early in the morning, do not look at it as a daunting task - something to be checked off your list. Rather, just open your ears for a moment, and listen to the sweet call of the One who loves you. Let Him invite and lure you into some of the sweetest moments in life, as we begin to deeply and intimately know our God.

Know God

John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.


If we claim to be Christians, having Christ in our hearts, living by the Holy Spirit, then according to this verse we should know God, the only true God, and Jesus Christ. But I wonder, how many of us really know Him? Can each and every one of us all sit in wonder and awe of Him, thinking on His attributes and all that He is? And if we cannot, then how can we pursue this God we do not know? I wonder if this might be the first step in the courtship laid out before us. To get to know our God and really let Him get to know us.

There is so much about God that is glorious and wonderful, powerful and beyond us. It is good to know Him, so that we can better trust Him, and experience Him. And in knowing and trusting who He is, it will be easier for us to open up and let Him into the dark and shadowy recesses of our hearts and souls.

We have all, unfortunately, come to believe certain things about our awesome God that simply are not true. Many of us have taken the time to discover the God of the Bible, through prayer and study - coming to know Him in truth and glory. But, whether we have done that or not, it can always benefit us to remind ourselves of exactly who God reveals Himself to be in His Word. He desires so deeply that we would come to know Him - that is one of the many reasons He has given us the Bible, that we would be able to see Him, feel Him, taste Him, and know Him deeply.

As we pursue Him, I pray that we will find our intimacy with Him growing, and our passion blazing. I desire, more than anything, to meet with you here each day, so that we can walk away on fire for God, wanting more and more of Him, and wanting to give Him more and more of ourselves! That is, after-all, passionately pursuing Him.

Will you join me? Well, then, let’s lace up our walking shoes, fix our eyes on Christ, the Lover of our souls, and begin our journey - one foot in front of the other. Let’s see where He takes us!

Rest

Psalm 62:5
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

I got an e-mail from a dear friend in regard to passionately pursuing God. She was refreshed and relieved that she finally felt as though she could stop doing and striving. She is suffering from exactly what I tend to suffer from - I think we all do at some point - we get so focused in on the doing and achieving that we lose our focus on Christ. We forget why we’re doing and how we’re achieving. It becomes all about ministry and study and serving, and we forget the love and delight.

My response to my friend was that she needed to give herself permission to rest. I think there are seasons in our lives when we need to just stop, and let God fill us. We need to stop our frantic studying, serving, praying, et al and just let God minister to our souls, let Him pour His soothing balm on our weary hearts, and just bask in His glory.

What a relief! It is not often that we hear that it is OK to just stop for a little while. We can read our Bibles, if we desire, or we can just sit and think on God and all that He is. It is good to take a walk and instead of feeling as though we have to get through our massive prayer list, we can simply have a casual conversation with God. We can delight in Him, as He delights in us.

I believe that we must take the time to let God minister to us, fill us, heal us, and give us rest. It is only when we are full of Him that we can truly minister and serve as we should. All our striving and serving and doing should simply flow out of our delight in God - an overflow of His love in us.

Is this something that you need? Is your soul weary and tired? Perhaps you need to give yourself permission to just soak up all that God has to offer. To simply rest in Him, not feeling as though you have to get up right back up and start going again. To give yourself a break from your spiritual "to-do" list - it will still be there tomorrow. This season will look different for each of us, but I think it is good that we know that it is OK to simply take some time to renew and refresh our relationship with Christ - much like a marriage retreat. It keeps the relationship strong, and grows us deeper in a way that striving and achieving never can.

Passionately Pursuing God

Psalm 63:8
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. (KJV)


God has really been stripping me down, lately - taking me "back-to-basics," so to speak. He’s been reminding me of what He asks of me, what He really asks of me - the core of who I am, and what my life is to be about. Passionately Pursuing Him. It’s something He spoke over me a couple years ago, and my life seems to have drifted from that - not far, but drifted none-the-less. I’ve found that I have been getting caught up in serving and obeying and doing all the stuff . . . not that the "stuff" is bad, necessarily, it’s just that it’s not coming from the right place.

God wants my obedience and my service and my worship and all of that, but He wants it to come from that deep place within me that simply wants to know Him more, know Him for all that He is, in every way.

Normally I read and teach in the NIV, but this verse is so much better when we take it "back-to-basics," as well. "My soul followeth hard after thee..." That’s what it’s to be about. As much as I love to be pursued and loved by Him, He also loves to be pursued and loved by me - a lovers cat and mouse game, in a way. He keeps reminding me that I am not to look left, nor right - I am not to pay attention to what the world tells me, or even the Church, with the best of intentions. I need to focus on Him. I need to look deep in His eyes, and let Him tell me what to do and where to go and how to get there. And really, when I search deep within myself, I discover that that is all I really want anyway - to simply gaze deep into the soul of my truest Lover - this God who knows me intimately and loves me anyway. This perfect Man who, for some reason, delights in me, is passionate about me, and wants me to know Him.

God is taking me back to the beginning, when I was passionate about Him. Not passionate about what I’m doing, or what the Church is doing, or even what He is doing through me and the Church (although none of that is bad). And I have to admit, that it feels good, to just let my thoughts linger a little. To simply think on Him, and be taken to a place of sheer delight that can only be experienced with Him, in Him.

To delight in Him, and let Him delight in me. All else flows out of that place - I don’t want it any other way, and I don’t believe that He does, either.

So, I come to you today and ask you to join me. To just step back, sit down, relax and just revel in the delight and love and mystery and passion and fire and wildness and care and tenderness . . . all that God is - just soak it in.

Let Him thrill you, and take you to a place of sheer, innocent, passionate ecstacy! Let the Lover of your soul, do just that - love you, giving you opportunity to love Him back.

Honor and Obey

I have missed you all! It seems that life has been a whirlwind of sick kids, a vacation to see my family in Wyoming, and the beginning of a new ministry season. I hope that you all have been missing me, as well, although I'm sure you're just as busy as I am.

I trust this finds you well, and in good spirits. I hope and pray that God is working in amazing ways in each of your lives, as you strive to walk daily with Him.

God bless you today!

Passionately Pursuing God,
Andrea

Hebrews 10:35-36
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

It seems that obedience is a theme in many of the lessons God is teaching me these days. Not an easy lesson, but one I need, none-the-less - and a lesson that bears repeating time and time again.

These days, He is really showing me that if I want to be used by Him in big ways, I need to choose to be obedient and honor Him, first, in the little ways. Before I can minister to the women in my church and community, I need to, first, minister to my family - my husband, daughter and son. I need to show Him that I can be trusted in every way He is asking me to be obedient now, not just looking forward to what is coming. And in learning to be obedient to Him in these little details, each and every day, I believe that it will be much easier to obey and honor Him in the future. I am in training, as are you - being groomed for what He has in store for us next.

I keep this verse close at hand to remind me that with our confidence in Him, we can persevere - through large or small; through the tragic or the mundane - with His strength, we can get through all that comes our way, and honor Him in the process. And through our perseverance, we will receive what He has promised - in the long run, a place in heaven, by His side. On this side of life, we will be used in bigger and bigger ways, getting closer to that which He designed us for, that which He has chosen for each of us (whatever that may be).

So, let’s wake up each morning and remind ourselves that today we are going to honor Him in every decision. Let’s make the choice, for it is a choice, to obey Him with every task we do, and with every role we fill, and then let’s see how God begins to bless this decision!