BASILEA!! Where do I even start???
Driving up I really had no idea what to expect of this years Basilea. I was excited, but I was also sad. When I came to Rider I quickly made friends with many sophomores, juniors, and seniors. ( I don’t know why, I’m always the baby in my group of friends). Next year I will be a senior! (not ready to talk about THAT yet!).
But that means that everyone I got really close to will now be gone. Of course there are more people in my life now and I’m so incredibly glad they’re staying, but its still hard to say goodbye to those that are leaving. I’m saying goodbye to the first group of people who welcomed me in and who I have learned to love.
Thankfully God gave me peace in this area, and it wasn’t until the last day of Basilea that I remembered I had to say goodbye.
That week God showed me so much. I’ve been searching everywhere for what God wants me to do and how He wants to use my life to bring him glory. It wasn’t until I got alone with God six hours away from my home, on a rock in the middle of the woods, that I finally heard His answer.
I get distracted really really easily. So I was sitting on this rock trying to clear my mind and listen for that still, small voice. And these birds kept making the loudest squawking noises you ever heard. I was so frustrated, until I heard this verse in my head,
Luke 19:40
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
I was so humbled. I was so focused on myself and the way that I thought I needed to hear God, that I almost missed the way that He wanted to speak to me. I was just so in awe of the fact that every single part of nature glorifies God. The birds, the color of the trees, the beautiful waves, mossy rocks, it all reflected God’s character and made me love Him more.
We were also learning about Joshua this week and how God commanded him to be strong and courageous. Of course this is a message that I needed to hear.
Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
This year feels a bit intimidating to me, because I wont be surrounded by the same comforting people that I always have been.
But I’m starting to realize that that’s a good thing. Right about the time I start getting comfortable, that’s when I need to take a risk for Jesus. Joshua didn’t know what he would face going into Jericho, and I don’t know what I will face going into this year. But whatever it is, I will stand tall with confidence and boldness because my God is with me wherever I go.
I’m so grateful for all the prayer I got during my week at Basilea, and the long talks I had with people. I’m grateful for God slowly preparing me to face a new adventure and continually discard things that try to take His place as center of my life.
And while people leaving is still not my favorite thing, I have come to realize that people come and people leave and that’s just the way it goes. I have made new friends and said goodbye to old ones. Of course the goodbye is only temporary, but it still stings.
This chapter of my life is coming to an end. But you cant spend forever moping over the things that you had to let go of, or your going to miss some really amazing things that are ahead.
Reminding myself that in life there is a time for everything, and God’s timing is perfect.
Ecclesiastes 3
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace
I'm starting to realize that I cant control everything! I cant keep everything comfortable and perfect and exactly the way I want it.
Because life is messy!! But someone I trust very much just told me that sometimes in order for God to work, He needs to start with a mess. I am unclenching my fists, and allowing God to take over. I know that God has a good plan for my life and for the lives of my friends. This year might be exactly what it takes for me to step out of my comfort zone, because I know from experience, that’s where God works best
Song recommendation: “A better way,” by Downhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfxrKLo4hic
Psalm 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
I love justice. I love justice because God loves justice. If your not sure how much God loves justice, go on bible gateway.com and type in justice. It will take you a whole day to go through how much the Bible has to say about justice.
You don’t really see much justice in the world today, at least not the justice that God longs to deliver. People say that you have to be careful with justice, because God calls us to have mercy and show grace. While this is true of course, THERE CAN BE NO LOVE WITHOUT JUSTICE.
There are consequences for sin, and while God still loves you, you have to face the consequences of your sin. And that’s actually the most loving thing, only an uncaring God would let you do whatever you want with no consequences for your actions.
The phrase I hear all the time that just breaks my heart is, “I cant believe in a God who gets angry, punishes people and doesn’t let everyone into heaven.”
What I wouldn’t be able to live with, is a God who DID just sweep sin under the rug and shrug his shoulders.
Because this world is unfair, this world is corrupt and full to the brim with injustice.
When we sin, we hurt others and we hurt ourselves. And that makes God angry, because we are His children! If you’re a parent you know how angry you get when someone hurts your child, think how much MORE God is angry when someone hurts his children.
I wouldn’t want to serve a god who saw evil happening and just didn’t care. If I love my brothers and sisters around the world how much more does their father in heaven love them? The god who knit them together in their mothers womb, shrug his shoulders at injustice? Never. His anger is righteous.
Executing justice is one way in which God shows his love for us. He loves us too much to let us continue down a path of sin and destruction. He loves ENOUGH to rebuke and correct us.
We see how God punished the children of Israel when they continually kept turning away and worshipping false Gods and idols. But God loved them too much to watch them destroy themselves and so he punished them and after seeing His mighty power they would turn back to Him and destroy their idols.
God does not execute justice unrelentingly though. Throughout the consequences of sin, God’s love reigns.
Hosea 11 is God speaking to Israel, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. “Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger.”
“How can I give you up?” I love these words. Although God’s punishment comes first, He will never give us up and His compassion will never end.
It is also God’s desire that His people follow His commands and show His love by passionately pursing justice.
Matthew 12:18
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
Jesus says this about US. It is our JOB to proclaim justice, our God given command.
If you don’t have a heart for justice, get down on your knees and beg that god will break your heart for what breaks his. I know that’s a really catchy song that most people know, but have you actually done it? Plead for an unrelenting love for his people.
You should love your brothers and sisters around the world so much that when you hear statistics of sex trafficking, it makes you want to cry. Because of Gods love, you have the compassion and the ability to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
But not just to weep, but to be moved to action. To say to the orphan, the widow, the oppressed, “God loves you so much that He sent me to procure justice for you.”
Justice also makes forgiveness possible. We are able to forgive and love because god is angry on our behalf. However upset you are at a wrong committed against you, God is even more upset. More upset than you could ever comprehend.
The ‘justice’ that you think your securing by holding onto unforgiveness, could never measure up to the righteous justice that God administers. We can let go of hurt and love others freely, because our God is one who loves justice.
Song recommendation: A song written AND performed (on my bed, dont worry, Zach's not into zebra stripes =]) by my awesome musician brother in Christ, Zach Bragg
Song is called, "Your Worth"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A7UaUlRK8k&feature=youtu.be
Recently, everywhere I go someone is talking about responding to God’s calling, ‘getting out of the boat’, or not putting other things in the place of God. And it bugs me.
It bugs me because I need to hear it. And its hard to hear. It bugs me because every time someone talks about it, the holy spirit gives my heart a little nudge.
And I cant squash that feeling anymore. I cant ignore the nudge anymore.
Most times when you think of putting things in the place of God, you think of material things like people or money or substances. But the thing that I put in front of God? Fear.
I put fear in front of God. Like fear is this great thing to be accommodated. I have accommodated fear in my life. I have gotten used to it and made a place for it. But its not so easy to live with anymore. Its taking up too much room.
Recently my friends convinced me to go on a walk late at night on this pretty trail, in a wooded area. I had such a great time hanging out with people that are leaving school this year, and made some great memories. I thought about how close I had come to not going on the walk, because it was in the dark woods. And I mean I was terrified, in my mind, there was a killer lurking behind every tree. The journey was scary, but when we got to the beautiful clearing at the end of the path it was so worth it.
And I almost missed it. I don’t want to miss out. Not just on some fun times, I don’t want to miss out ON MY LIFE!
I know myself and I could spend forever measuring and judging the what ifs of any situation. When God asks me to do something, I usually wrestle with Him for a while.
“But God, what if this happens? But God what if that happens? God are you strong enough to keep me safe?”
And then I hear Him say, “Yeah, so what if it happens? I’m still God and I’m still good.”
And if God does choose to call me home, I will be going to the place I've waited for my whole life! I used to not want Jesus to come back until I've done all the things I want on this earth. But now I've realized that these things dont have worth compared to the place Jesus is preparing for me. I'm so homesick, if it was up to me, my savior would come back this very second.
As Christians we need to look at our motives. Are we living our lives in response to God’s calling, or in response to something else? My motives have always been based on fear. And its exhausting, and draining, and crippling.
And I’m sick of it. So from now on I’m not going to let fear tell me what to do. I’m going to let God tell me what to do. When He tells me what to do, I’m going to do my best to listen, even and especially when its scary. Because I don’t want to be a slave to fear. I don’t want to be a bound prisoner to fear.
Galatians 5v1 says, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
God came to set me free from the sin of fear. Its silly to think of someone who has been set free to willingly return themselves to slavery. I don’t want to diminish the beautiful gift that Jesus offers me, by refusing the freedom that He brings.
Another verse about freedom that I love is John 8v34, which says, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
The son had set me free, but I put the shackles back on myself. I am not a slave to sin, I am a daughter of the most high God, and I am going to start living like it.
This is the summer that I am going to start living out of a reverence for God and not a reverence for fear. This summer I am going to fly across the ocean and tell random strangers about how much Jesus Christ loves them and wants to know them personally. I am going to start living my life not worrying about tomorrow, because my life is in the safest place possible, God’s hands.
