Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Time to go deep, I was just inspired by a movie called "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" about a little boy with a key. The entire movie he spends searching for the lock, searching and searching knowing that in the end he will certainly find the answers. His emotions rocket then hit rock bottom, he faces his fears, he feels like a failure, he questions, he doubts, he cries and yells and screams, he laughs and smiles and spins around, he meets people from all walks of life on his journey....all the while he misses his Dad, but knows he is with him. He keeps trying and trying to keep his Dad alive by searching for clues and answers only to hit dead ends over and over again.

Ultimately, he finds where the lock fits, but it was not what he wanted to find. What he found was not what he had been searching for for so long. He sits on a swing and begins to see things more clearly...The real treasure was not the "treasure" at all, the treasure came through his experiences. He begins to realize how proud of him his Dad is for conquering his many fears: he walked on bridges, he rode the trains, he ate something without clean hands, he talked to old people and even listened to people yell and people cry. The movie ends with this little boys face pointed to the sky, he finally knew...the treasure was not something he could hold on to, he had to let it go to find it. The treasure was in the experience of seeking and finding little bits and pieces along the way.

I think we are all chasing after something we are certain is the answer to all the missing pieces of our lives. We are all pursing people or things or careers or opportunities that we are sure will bring us the happiness and true joy we need to feel complete. None of us know where to look, but we keep searching. One day we will all look back and realize the real meaning of "seek and you will find." Not you "might" find, but you WILL find.

So tonight, may hope and joy fill your heart. May you be encouraged to pursue what you love and what you hope for because you never know what He has in store beneath it all. Remember how much bigger he is than the little highs and lows, He created the sky and gravity which gives us the concept of high and low. Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. The Lord is waiting to provide His will for you, you must trust him.

Martin Luther

To be convinced in our hearts that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God by grace alone is the hardest thing because the sin underneath all sins is the lie that we cannot trust the love and grace of Jesus and that we must take matters into our own hands.

1 Peter 5

Humble yourself before the Lord. This shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, he is God and King, Lord of all. He is the Creator. You belong to him. The creature is the possession of the Creator. Humble yourself before your King. And here is one way to express this new-found posture of humility: cast your cares on him. Did you catch that? When you come humbly before the King he reveals his unlimited love. Who would have thought? He actually wants you to cast your burden on him. You were never intended to carry those burdens alone. He is the mighty God who never leaves. You can trust him. And this casting is no mere act of your will. It comes as you know that he is God and you are not. Oh, and you can be sure that he will lift you up from your kneeling position and give you more than you ever expected.
-Ed Welch

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I’ll tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

The Real Gift

This world is cruel, creation is groaning beneath the surface and crying out to be saved from its pain. Our ancestors since the Fall of humanity have suffered greatly, but we tend to get so lost in our own selfish world sometimes and forget that our Savior suffered just as we do.

Like a sheep he was led to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
-Isaiah

Jesus saw the JOY in the midst of the pain–He could see that when it was finished the whole world would have access to His Father again–he kept enduring for our sake. Jesus died so that we might have life in Him.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be visible in our bodies.
So death is at work in us, but life in YOU.
-2 Corinthians 4

While sometimes we may feel as though God has abandoned us and doubt has shadowed our faith, His Grace sustains and strengthens us and we must have the courage to seek the JOY beyond the shadows even when you cannot visibly see it.

May we allow God to isolate us, it is in this experience of isolation that the Lord develops an independence of life and faith so that the soul no longer depends on the continual help, prayer, faith and care of others. God allows these difficulties to come upon you in order to bring you closer to Himself. Even though we do not understand it, we can be assured Jesus has not come to separate us from Himself, but to cause you to cling to Him more faithfully, firmly and simply.

Let us enjoy His light and comfort when it is His pleasure to give it to us, but may we have the faith and steady determination not to attach ourselves to his gifts.

Superman

Robert Griffin III won the Heisman Trophy, but more than that he stood before a nation and represented a man of humility. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a great accomplishment, but I am also proud to call him a brother in Christ. RG was so humbled by this award and represented Baylor so well. I pray today not only for his humility and awareness of God's grace, but for our own as a body of believers who love our Lord beyond the trophies of the world. Thank you, Robert for your obedience and may we take your example and follow it. Thank you, Jesus, for where you have brought us and for where we are going. May we have the faith to follow, the wisdom to know, and the humility to receive.
"For with you is the fountain of life, and in your light we see light." Psalm 36:9

If you are in Christ these all apply, so rest, accept, and live in light of them.

You are loved | Ephesians 2:4

You are forgiven | 1st John 2:12

You are healed | Isaiah 53:5

You are new | 2nd Corinthians 5:17

You are secure | Hebrews 6:19-20

You are no longer under condemnation | Romans 8:1

You have the Holy Spirit | Ephesians 1:13

You have every spiritual blessing in Christ | Ephesians 1:3

You will never be abandoned | Matthew 28:20

You are partakers of the divine nature | 2nd Peter 1:4

You are pursued | 1st John 4:10

You are clean | 1st Corinthians 6:11

You are holy | Colossians 1:22

You are blameless | Ephesians 1:4

You are His | Titus 2:14

You are made in His image | Genesis 1:27

You are written on the palm of His hand | Isaiah 49:16

You are free | Galatians 5:1

You are filled with a Spirit of power, not of fear | 2nd Timothy 1:7

You have Jesus as your advocate | 1st John 2:1

You are justified | Romans 5:1

You are not on trial anymore | Colossians 2:14

You have a Father that graciously gives all things | Romans 8:32

You have Him interceding for you at all times | Romans 8:34

You are a Child of Him | 1st John 3:1

You are His bride | Ephesians 5:31-32

You are His friend | John 15:15

Your old self is buried with Him | Romans 6:3

You are raised to new life | Romans 6:4

You are dead to sin | Romans 6:7

You are in union with Jesus | Galatians 2:20

You are a member of His body | Romans 12:5

You are chosen | Ephesians 1:4

You are hidden with Christ in God | Colossians 3:3

You are a branch of Jesus | John 15:5

You have perfect access to Him at all times because of the blood | Ephesians 3:12

You are God’s poetry/workmanship | Ephesians 2:10