Joy

Lord God,

You are God and there is no God like you. In your hands are all power and authority and no one can hold back what you have decreed. You are a good, just, and loving God, perfect in all Your ways. You are my God; in You will I place my hope and find my joy. Yet my faith so often falters and my joy can so easily be swept away, for I live in a world that is fallen and my mind perceives so little of all that you have planned.

You command all who hope in You to rejoice always. Indeed, frequently am I told from the Word to rejoice in the Lord. This is easy when Your blessings abound, when You are a hedge about me and when my life passes with pleasure because of your goodness poured out to me. Then I am compelled to sing of Your great love and the beauty of Your grace. But what do I do with books like Job and Lamentations? Was not Job the most righteous man on the earth and yet calamity and hardship came upon him as You, O Lord, allowed? In Lamentations, did you not bring your people down to destruction and no longer hear their pleas for help because they forsook You for idols? Were such trials to befall me, would I then be free from the charge of joyfulness? Could I then give full vent to my pain and call to question the actions and purposes of the Lord? Is it possible to have joy when You have turned Your back to me and have caused me to wander in darkness and sorrow apart from you?

What then shall I say? Am I to accept good from the Lord and not evil as well? Hope has not utterly abandoned me nor has joy completely forsaken me that I should cease to seek You. Even then, this one fact remains: God is God as much now as He was in the past and will be in the future. You do not change. I know that Your faithfulness is great and Your mercies never fail. I know that You are completely righteous and just. You are also loving and compassionate. You are sovereign. In these truths I shall find my rest and my salvation.

Again, have not all things that befall me been decreed by You, O Lord? Though I would cry out in my affliction for lack of understanding and seek to justify myself by my own righteousness, I will be silenced before Your awesomeness. I am but a creature and do not even fathom the workings of this physical world. Yet You hold the world together so that it endures. How then would I be able to understand Your plans for all eternity, as it has been set forth by Your wisdom, where You to explain it all to me? So then, I am unable to question or call to account Your decrees, for You answer to no man and no one can thwart the working out of Your plan in the power and might of Your holiness.

So even in our afflictions, I will cling to the Lord. Though my years pass away as a sigh and I go down to death in trouble and sorrow, I shall still have joy in You. Such joy is not rooted in my merit or what has come to pass in my life but on the eternal and awesome character of my God. I know that He is just and will do right. As for those who pass from this world; the time is coming when they will have to stand before the judgment seat of God with their eternal destiny in the balance. To those who know You and follow You even to the grave, You will grant eternal life and pleasures from Your right hand. To them falls the blessing as heirs of God to dwell forever with You. Only then will I learn to see aright the Your goodness in my life. Whatever trials I may endure, whatever hardships I may suffer, whatever injustice may be committed against me; all will pail before the mercy seat of my Savior. The Lord is mighty to save and will not forever withhold His justice and His love from those who fear Him. In this truth I find hope and in my God I will delight. Indeed, such knowledge is too wonderful for me and so I will silent to wait upon You. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Amen

Levi Daniel Swartzentruber - Testimony to God

It has occured to me that while I have written on this blog for a while now, I have not ever gotten down to the business of telling you who I am and how I got here.

Some may see me as a picture-perfect poster child Christian: godly parents, generally obedient, intelligent… Such a superficial look at my life would dishonor the Savior who sanctifies me by His perfect grace. And so I would like to lead you on a little of the journey that has brought me to today.

My life is a testimony to the blessings and mercies of the Lord. From day one, my godly parents and extended family were pointing me to Him. I know I have been prayed for regularly since then and have no doubt that my life is a direct answer to their prayers.

I was saved when I was about five at vacation bible school. I don’t remember now who spoke or who prayed with me, but they too were blessings from God. I finally understood a few very important things: I was a sinner. I was going to hell for my sins. That scared me. Jesus Christ died to pay for my sins. If I would accept His gift and give Him lordship of my life, I would be saved. So I prayed to do just that.

Salvation. An awesome thought. I was as much an enemy of God as Paul and though my conversion was far less dramatic, it was no less a sovereign act of Christ. I have been forgiven much and I must frequently remind myself of the truth lest I so easily forget what Jesus did and harden my heart against my Savior.

That was the start of the journey. Thankfully, God was not content to leave me as I was that day seventeen years ago. The result is a life that is being continually transformed as my mind and heart are conformed to that of Christ Jesus. Though I do not have space here to adequately record each change, I can give you a few glimpses of what the Lord has led me through.

As I try to find a place to start, I am left in awe of God’s perfect plan. No aspect of my life has escaped his touch; each event intricately connected with many others. I will therefore do my best to pick a few of the overlapping strokes from the big picture.

Looking back, one of the clearest ways God has changed me is in the way I relate to others. I was an introvert. People skills are not my strong point. That is an understatement. My parents used to compare getting me to talk to pulling teeth. The changes in my life are largely the result of friends God quite simply dropped in my lap in high school and college. I think of John, a friend of my dad, who would take me on outdoor adventures and simply talk with me. Or, guys like Peter whose extroverted good nature somehow rubbed off on me. I do not know what they saw in me or why they stuck with me, but they invested time in my life and drew me into theirs. God has grown me greatly and is still changing me in this area.

While God was stretching me relationally, He was also growing my heart for others. Until recently, my walk with God was basically a “me” thing. I still want to know God better but now that vision includes taking others with me. Especially over the last four years in the Navigators, God has shown me how solid a foundation he has blessed me with and how much I have to give to others. Gaining this vision was a process of spending time with God and with men like Dan Meehan who built selflessly into my life and provided the example for me to follow.

Likewise, God was at work in my mind. One particular lie I have wrestled with frequently is my worth as an individual, and therefore the worth of others. While I have had good friends over the years, my personality and introverted nature kept me in many ways on the fringes of the social scene. It was easy for me to feel I was just a fifth wheel or that I was included simply because of the skills I could bring to the table. My pride and selfishness in saying this is rather appalling. In truth, I have intrinsic value to God, as do all men. It is this truth that frees me to love others and serve them as I should.

It is painful and yet good to have my pride torn down by the gospel. Surely God has blessed me abundantly in the skills He has given me, but He has also richly blessed all his children in different ways. And such blessings are not to be spent on my glory but on the encouragement of any and all that God would choose to put in my path. He is quick to bring challenges into my life, like research roadblocks, to remind me that He has the final authority in my life.

So it was by the sovereign will of God that all of these lessons converged in the art of disciple making. Just recently, God was pleased to bless me with a couple guys who are excited to learn and grow in Christ. Even now, it is easy for me to wonder at God’s perfect timing. God gave me exactly what He had been preparing me for. So I will try to patiently wait for the Lord to guide me down the next path. I know I have been blessed and look forward to see how He will continue to do the same.

Blessings Promised to David

So it is written

In the Word of the Lord,

As it was spoken by Him;

The one who does not lie,

The God who does not change.

God has made a promise

And sworn it by His holiness:

Blessings promised to David,

Given to the Son of David,

Fulfilled perfectly in Jesus Christ.

The King came as a servant,

Despised and rejected by men,

Considered smitten by God and afflicted.

For it was the will of the Lord to crush him.

He died for the sins of many.

But You did not abandon him to the grave,

You did not let your Holy One see decay.

Him you declared eternally your Son

And you forever to be his Father.

You filled him with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

I will make an everlasting covenant with him;

My faithful love promised to David.

My faithful love will be with him,

And it will not be taken from him,

For I will maintain My love to him forever.

My covenant with him will never fail.

I will establish his line forever,

As long as the heavens endure,

So long will his throne be established.

I will set him over My kingdom forever.

I have made him a witness to the peoples,

A leader and commander of the peoples;

My hand will sustain him,

My right arm will strengthen him.

The will of the Lord will prosper in his hands.

In his hand is the iron scepter

To dash the nations like pottery.

I have made the nations his inheritance;

The ends of the earth his possession.

I have installed My king in Zion.

It is too small a thing for you to be my servant,

To restore the tribes of Jacob

And bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will make you a light for the Gentiles

To bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.

In such manner has salvation come to us,

Who deserve not the favor of the King,

But in Him find the forgiveness of sins,

The adoption of sonship into the kingdom;

Coheirs of the blessings of God’s love.

Therefore my heart is glad

And my tongue rejoices.

My body also will rest secure

Knowing you will never abandon me

But will fill me with joy in your presence.

So shall we exalt the Holy One

And proclaim the glories of His splendor,

The praise of the King who is worthy,

Standing in the presence of the Son of David,

The True God and Eternal Life.

Above is the summary of promises given to David, and more specifically the Son of David, Jesus Christ. It is good to reflect on the greatness of our God. On that fact that Christ now sits enthroned in heaven, having secured for us not only redemption from sins but adoption as sons into his eternal kingdom. Let us then enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise to enjoy sweet fellowship with our Father God and our Savior Jesus. Let us in prayer bring him our sacrifice of praise. Amen.

Fruitfulness

How are you doing at bearing the Fruit of the Spirit in your walk with Christ? I would encourage you to make that a regular matter of prayer, knowing that God wants to see us look more like Christ every day.



Love
Deepest desire
Satisfied by One
Perfected

Joy
Wonderful fellowship
Where I am understood
Completed

Peace
Fearless honesty
Covered in acceptance
Protected

Patience
Timeless endurance
Walking with me
Pursued

Kindness
Gentle strength
Help to endure
Given

Goodness
Unspeakable beauty
Preserving purity
Displayed

Faithfulness
Lifelong commitment
Overcoming circumstances
Remembered

Gentleness
Humble service
Hands holding mine
Sustained

Self-control
Sacrificing selfishness
Looking to Him
Strengthened

Prayer

Seeking an audience with the King.
Instant access through the Son.

Lord, Savior, Father, God.
Enthroned in glory,
Majestic in holiness,
Awesome in splendor.

Praise breaks forth,
Adoration from the heart,
In reverence to the King.
Words woefully inadequate
To describe the indescribable.

It is enough.
Sitting in silence,
Knowing He is God.
As I am known,
Loved by my Father.

Waiting, expecting, desiring
Sweet communion.
The needy
Satisfied in the needed.

To go forth from His presence,
Knowing I go not alone.

True Refreshment

Here is a simple question I would pose: are you being refreshed in your walk with Christ, especially as that relates to your prayer life? God has promised that if we repent and turn to Him, our sins will be wiped out and times of refreshing will come from the Lord. But what is this refreshing that comes from the Lord? I think that as believers we far too often forget this refreshing that God has promised as we get so caught up in the business of our lives. We neglect true refreshment in favor of a little mindless relaxation. We do not grasp the magnitude of what God has promised, so we do not experience the reality of what God has promised to do in our lives.

Do you not know that God delights to fulfill His promises to His children? And how he fulfills His promises! Our God carries out his Word with zeal and generosity that only the God of the universe could supply. He does not sit passively on His throne and wait until we come crying out to him in utter desperation before He decides to act. No, the Lord God Almighty stands and calls out to us to come and be refreshed in Him. He can not wait for us to turn to Him so that He might completely meet our needs and satisfy our souls. He delights to refresh us with what we need most; himself. Even now He is calling out, “Come to me, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” How will He not most generously give to those who cry out to Him for the gifts He has already promised? And what is more, He has set it before us free of charge. He himself bore the price in His body that we might be eternally satisfied in our God. Who can match the matchless giving of our God? Who can satisfy us like Jesus? For to whom else can we go for water that will become a spring in our souls, welling up to eternal life?

So, what is this that God has promised? Our everlasting Father has promised to give us choice food and drink without cost or limit. He has promised to renew our strength so we run and do not grow weary, so we walk and do not faint. He has promised to take our yoke upon Himself and give us a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light. The Lord has promised that if we are faithful in seeking after him, He will open the very storehouses of heaven and pour out a blessing we can not contain. To open the storehouses of heaven – there is a phrase that thrills my soul. For such a blessing is beyond comprehension. Indeed, if we could understand the awesomeness of the flood in Genesis, we might begin to understand the vastness of this promise. For forty days and nights, God opened the storehouses of heaven and it rained so the earth was completely covered with water, with some to spare. How great is our God who is able to bless in that same measure those who call on His name! Does our Lord not fill us to overflowing out of his wonderful abundance? And what is this great abundance and blessing that will refresh the soul? Is it not that we have a personal, intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, through whom we are justified and have peace with God? Is it not to treasure as more precious to our hearts the One in the entire universe who is most worthy of our love and adoration?

So, let us seek the Lord while He may be found, let us call on Him while He is near. Let us forsake our evil ways and our wicked thoughts. Let us turn to the Lord for He will have mercy on us and to our God for He will freely pardon. Let us find our refreshment, satisfaction, and fulfillment in our God. And let us freely and abundantly share with others for in that same manner we have received.

10 As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

Prayer Requests Feb 19

Thank you to all who are praying for us and with us at Iowa State. It is a privilege to come before our King and know that He hears us. I encourage to guard your time with God carefully, for it is most valuable. I apologize for not putting up anything last week.

This past week we were reminded that we can be doing good things or we can be doing the best thing. We are praying that God would show us what the best things are and that if necessary, we would be willing to sacrifice some of the good things to see that the best things happen. We can be praying for each other that our priorities would align with what God would want.

One other ongoing prayer request is for unity and fellowship. This semester as we look at Acts, that is a huge theme. I believe that God would have us grow in this area as a ministry. Please be praying to that end.