Deserts and Doubts

Deserts, not desserts!

Like everyone I know, my faith goes through desert patches, were it's hard to keep God as the focus, where it's hard to even remember him in my daily life. I know I should give him time, and even know as I write this, I know I should be spending time with him, rather than writing this.

But, sometimes life just gets in the way, coming home for me always presents a desert patch, but this one started even before I left York, my degree has been getting the priority for a while. Something I want to write on here, because sometimes it's all too easy to pretend that everything is fine. That there are no crack in our faith. But, so often there are, at least there are always some cracks in mine. So, here's to honestly with each other, because if we aren't honest with each other we won't be able to encourage one another in our journeys.

So, here's my encouragement to everyone. I'm currently in a desert place of my faith, I'm having doubts, BUT what I'm falling back on, is this.

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

1 Corinthians 10:13

I find this encouraging, because it means God is with me, in the hard, lonely desert parts of my faith, and in the times I feel overflowing with his Spirit. And, he remains faithful to my, in my struggles, and through my struggles, through my perseverance I will grow stronger in my faith in him. If I was constantly overflowing with God's love, I wouldn't know how to stand on my own two feet. I wouldn't know how to relate to others in their times of struggle but most importantly, I wouldn't realise just how much I need God. Because right know, despite my doubts, I feel so far from God and I want to change that. I want to be close to him again, I want to feel his presence in my life. 

So, I'll leave you with;

"...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Romans 5: 3-4

God bless 

The Heart of Worship

I was sat listening to 'How he Loves' and it hit me, what differentiates worship from going to gig? I mean, in both you sing the lyrics, enjoy the music, but how is worship different? I know I often treat sung worship in the same attitude as I would a gig? I sing because I'm happy, I sing because it's what I want to do, and through that attitude I miss the point of sung worship. That it's purpose is to honour God. 

This made me think of the Matt Redman song; The Heart of Worship:

When the music fades

And all is stripped away

And I simple come

Longing just to bring

Something that's of worth

That will bless your heart

I'll bring you more than a song

For a song in itself

Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within

Through the ways things appear

Your looking into my heart.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship

And it's all about You

All about You, Jesus

I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it

When it's all about You

It's all about You, Jesus. 

There is so much truth in that, God doesn't require a song, he required our hearts. And our hearts should desire him. We should worship God in ALL that we do, not in song, but in our work, in our resting, in all parts of our lives. But it's easy fall into the trap that we can not worship apart from in songs, but songs are just a way of remembering the greatness of God, and honouring him through that remembrance. They're not about singing but, remembering who God is, and what he has done for us, and worshiping him from the depths of our hearts. 

CHRISTmas: The beginning of the end.

Christmas, celebrates Jesus's birth. And Christians believe that:

• Jesus is fully God
• Jesus is also fully human
• and because of these two facts he is our salvation.

This 'plan' isn't something God just thought up before he sent Gabriel to see Mary, Jesus was the salvation plan from the very beginning. Just after Adam and Eve sinned against God, God punished them (leading to death, pain and suffering entering the world) but he also gave them (and us) hope.

"And I will put enmity

 between you [serpent] and the woman, [Eve]

 and between your offspring and hers; 

he will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel." 

 Genesis 3:15

Right from the beginning of time, God promised to send us someone who would save us from the Devil (the serpent) and the rest of the Old Testament shows God being faithful to his people (the Israelites) who constantly disobey him and reject him from their lives. But God keeps loving them, keep promising to send someone who will be able to save them from themselves. Who can save all of us from the voice inside our head that calls us to hurt one another, that tells us that money, or popularity or clothes will makes us feel better, the voice that taunts us when we're down, and tells us we're not worth anything. 

Jesus didn't come to Earth to make us feel insignificant, useless and unworthy, he came to Earth, to be born as a lowly carpenter in Nazareth, the place where no one of importance lived. And place he worked for 30 years of his life, before he started the final journey of his life, 3 years of teaching before he sacrificed himself on a cross so you and I could be free. He didn't come to judge, he came to save. He didn't come to reject but to show his love. And his by his death, he took all our sins onto himself, and then rose again, defeating death and crushing the serpents head, and by this action if you believe in him at the day of Judgement, Jesus will stand between you and God and say he died for you, and you too will be raised into everlasting life, into the relationship with God. Because, all God wants is for you to believe in him and have a relationship with him. He wants to save you, because he loves you.