Urban Reformation

This is Jen Foster in Michigan, we receive their updates and are often blessed by their articulation of everyday life in light of the gospel.  It was a good devotional mediation after the election depression.

Amy Carmichael: “If there were less of what seems like ease in our lives they would tell more for Christ and souls… We profess to be strangers and pilgrims, seeking after a country of our own, yet we settle down in the most unstranger-like fashion, exactly as if we were quite at home and meant to stay as long as we could.” (A Chance to Die, p85)

O God of burning altar fire

O God of love’s consuming flame

Make pure the flame of our desire

To win the lost to seek Thy name

There is no coldness, Lord, in Thee

O keep us kindled, lest we bring

To our dear Lord of Calvary

Dead ashes for our offering

Dead ashes, husk of corn for wheat

Lord of our Ordination vow

We gather round Thy wounded feet

We see the thorns about Thy brow

Now by Thy Cross and Passion, Lord

Grant us this plea, this sovereign plea

And give us souls to give to Thee

–Amy Carmichael

Thoughts on the election: Could it be that God is granting our heart’s desire?  We say we desire to love and know God.  Perhaps He is graciously giving us the opportunity to enter into a deeper walk with Him.

“But You created nothing / That gives me more pleasure than You / And You won’t give me something / That gives me more pleasure than You” (from You Created, Caedmon’s Call)

Is this our heart’s plea?  Do we think it is really true of us?  That is, do we really gain the most pleasure out of God alone?  How do we know?  Other than myself, has anyone ever thought, “Do I really love and enjoy God above all earthly joys?”  How do you know the answer?

When I moved to Chicago 4 years ago, I thought this was true of me.  But when He stripped away all my defenses: health, sanity, control, beauty, comfort, chocolate, and finally the worst: my future ministry goals, I found I loved God very little.

Perhaps God knows we really actually would prefer another 4 years of Bush-style administration to Him.  Perhaps God knows we really would prefer a 1940’s morality to the pain-filled cross of Christ.  Perhaps God knows we really would prefer our sitcoms, our family get-aways, our physical safety to a deeper, fuller, more intimate knowledge of Him.

Perhaps God knows that for all we say we don’t worship our economy, our health, our finances, our lattes that we really actually do.  Perhaps He hears us whine, “No, I love God more but I still want (fill in the blank).  And perhaps He sighes knowing that we humans cannot serve both God and money, either we will hate the one and love the other…

So, God in His infinite kindness begins to strip away our facade.  He exposes us for who we really are: those who love Him but little.  Our hearts are easily satisfied with the world’s counterfeit gods.  We are blind to our own worship of them.  So, perhaps God will strip our lives down - in mercy - to the place where all we have is God.  What will we find?  Is He enough?  Do we even know our God?  Or have our idols taken up so much time that when we find ourselves with nothing but God will we even recognize Him?

I didn’t.

He has proved to be more than I could ever ask or imagine.  A beautiful, glorious, majestic worthy Potentate.  May God receive all our worship.  May we find ourselves lost in Him. Soli deo gloria.  Amen.  –Jen

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