Entrust

“The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed.” (Acts 14:26 NLT)

“...launched by God’s grace and now safely home by God’s grace.” (Acts 14:26 MSG)

In the last Olympics, the runners on the U.S. relay team had trouble passing the batons. Unlike some other teams, who practice regularly together, the U.S. runners are often picked at the last minute before the relay race. Even though they are some of the fastest runners, they have not practiced passing the baton to each other.

Trust is difficult, especially if you don’t practice regularly. When you consistently practice handing circumstances over to God, when you become more familiar with His timing and His grip--then, you are able to trustingly let go and let God run with it.

Lord help me to trust YOU completely and have peace. I want to entrust everyone and everything into your care. You have taken care of all of us thus far. Even when we didn’t completely trust you...You forgave our lack of faith. Every day, I shall practice--handing over everything into your care. I will trust you to launch us at the right time, by Your Grace, and finish safely by Your Grace.

Eclipse

An eclipse is the temporary obscuration of light. During a lunar eclipse, the earth’s shadow obscures the reflection of sunlight that usually illuminates the moon. During a solar eclipse, the moon’s shadow blocks (or occults) the sun’s light. Solar eclipses are thus more accurately classified as occultations--when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer.

We commonly use the term ‘occult’ to describe powers of darkness and paranormal activities. However, we fail to notice so many shadows that regularly block Divine Light in our lives. We routinely allow human experiences to eclipse the Spiritual light within us.

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)

The realization that we are actually spiritual beings having temporary human experiences is enlightening.  Yet, the human experience is essential--for it is the only way to process, access, and express our spiritual nature.

Full Expression

“May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 NLT)

God is part of us and we are part of God. We must be led to a full understanding of our oneness with God before we can fully express His love.

We were created as an expression of God. Yet, self-will disconnected us and resulted in separation. There are many barriers that prevent us from recognizing God’s presence within us. Christ leads us back to oneness and wholeness. However, we have to tear down the barrier of self-will before God’s light can shine through. This work is too difficult for us to do alone. We need patient endurance--which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.  Then, we can fully express the Divine Love within us.  

Lord, may we continually turn and focus on You. Remove all barriers that prevent us from recognizing Your personal presence. Enter our lives and make us brighter.  

Myopic Love

“This is what the Lord says: ‘I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness.” (Jeremiah 2:2 NLT)

I remember being a young bride. My life was consumed by my husband. If he thought something was a good idea, I went along with it. We moved seven times in the first 11 years. We traveled a lot, even though we didn’t have much money. I was willing to go out of my comfort zone, because I was eager to please him.  Even now, after 24 years of marriage, I would follow him anywhere. However, now I speak up when I have concerns about his ideas. In the early years, my sphere of vision was almost completely filled with my husband. Now, I am not as myopic--I look at other things in the periphery as well.

Could I ever love God with such a narrow, focused attention? Will my love eclipse all other concerns? Will I be able to follow him unquestioningly out of my comfort zone? Can I become so consumed by Him, so eager to please Him, that I am willing to go wherever He leads, do whatever He wants, and become the person He intends me to be?

Digging

“The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.” ( Proverbs 20:27 NLT)

Humans have been digging for valuables since the dawn of civilization. We dig for water, minerals, gems, petroleum, and natural gas. Most of us know it is useless to just go into our backyards with a pickaxe and shovel and dig in random places. We have invented instruments to determine where to dig and tools to efficiently penetrate layers of earth.

Discovering valuables such as Truth, Meaning, Purpose, and Goodness require some excavation as well. Yet, randomly digging using our own wisdom and strength is inefficient and unproductive. It is best to expend energy where we are divinely directed. The Holy Spirit penetrates our subconscious minds, bypassing any and all impenetrable layers, until what is truly valuable is revealed.

Lord, may all our efforts be directed by Your light and powered by Your might. Holy Spirit, take over.

Billionaire

Recently, I heard a TV celebrity wishing to have a billion dollars.  His current net worth is only 85 million.

Wealth is associated with power, influence, control, success, importance, security, and prestige. So it is natural for humans to assume that more wealth brings more happiness.

Our ambitions might be different. We might wish for more health, beauty, love, financial security, peace--for ourselves and our loved ones. We eat right and exercise; we moisturize our skin and drink filtered water; we buy homes in safe neighborhoods and send our kids to good schools; we read books on marriage and parenting; we invest in businesses; we work hard for promotions; we save for retirement--all of these actions are seen as acceptable, because we are merely being good stewards of the opportunities we have been given. We might even justify our motives as altruistic since we are doing all this for the welfare of others.

“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21 MSG)

Most of our ambitions are motivated by a desire to retain control of our lives. We strategize and work hard to achieve self-sufficiency. We might become billionaires, look youthful and successful, have long, healthy, productive lives, and be honored by everyone. However, unless our plans are aligned with God’s purpose, they all just amount to busywork that has no lasting value.

Caritas

Deus caritas est. (1 John 4:8 Latin Vulgate)

God is love.

Caritas--divine love infused into the will--not an emotion. Divine Love for God and for man--self and others. (Thomas Aquinas)

God’s love for us is unquestionable and incorruptible. However, how can humans reciprocate this Caritas?

I imagine it is similar to a parent teaching a child how to sing, dance, or play an instrument. My husband is a wonderful musician. When our son was younger, my husband patiently taught him how to play guitar. At first, our son’s attempts were merely goofy imitations. After a few years of practice, my son started to despair--realizing how inferior he was compared to his dad. Yet, his dad continued to encourage him--telling him: “I know you have it in you.” (My husband could sense that the musicality that was within him was also in our son.) So, they continued like this for years--Dad teaching and encouraging, Son imitating, progressing, regressing, despairing, practicing, developing his own techniques--until finally, our son could fully express what was in him all along.

So, don’t despair. We may not be able to reciprocate Divine Love...yet. But our Father knows that the same Caritas that is in HIM is also in us. As we follow, obey, imitate, and practice--we will get better and better at expressing this Divine Love.