Category Archives: God's love

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Overcoming Fear Through Trust


Psalm 56:3-4 NIV
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—

in God I trust and am not afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?

When I am afraid. I find myself afraid in many ways. I’m afraid to fail in writing the book I’m supposed to be writing. I’m afraid of looking dumb. What do I do when I’m afraid? Sometimes I distract myself. Sometimes I procrastinate. Sometimes I hide. Does it work? Not really. The fear doesn’t go away. What does David do?

I put my trust in You. Instead of hiding, escaping, or numbing, David puts his trust in God. If I learn to look past my distorted image of God that looks suspiciously like certain authorities figures in my life on a bad day, I can see that He really is faithful—more faithful than I can imagine. If I think about how easy it often is to trust Gem when I see her honesty, sincerity and lack of guile, how much more should I be able to trust God who will never let me down, neither willfully or ‘accidentally’? What helps me to rest trustingly in God more?

In God, whose word I praise—God always says what He means and always means what He says. He doesn’t waste words. I praise His word because it is true, right, good, merciful, kind and words like this could just keep piling up. When I feel it hard to connect with something in scripture because it doesn’t feel real to me, that says very little about the quality of what God says. It probably says much more about my own ability to receive or perceive the goodness of what He says. Father, Your word is most worthy of praise.

In God I trust and am not afraid. I want to learn how to do what David does here. I want to so trust in You, Lord, that I am no longer paralyzed, immobilized or hindered by fears. There is a kind of inward hurry that prevents me from sinking down and soaking in the peace and rest of God into my heart and mind. God, You really are completely trustworthy. You are not holding the failures and transgressions of my past against me. You do not desire to keep a record of wrongs between You and me. You desired to remove them, and so You sent Your Son to make this justly possible. You did it the right way. You didn’t pretend there was nothing wrong with me. You addressed the wrong in me righteously and rightly.

What can mere mortals do to me? I hear in this that the harm fear causes me to imagine is always greater than reality. What harm is actually going to happen? I remember someone once saying that fear is actually a doorway into a deeper experience of God and His love. It just doesn’t look like that from this side!

Interact:

  • What are some of the fears you are currently facing?
  • What is the harm you imagine?
  • How might God be inviting you to step right through that fear into a place of deeper surrender and communion with Him?
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Knowing the Love of God


On Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fitting to share a few words on the deep abiding love of God for us. Few have spoken to me of His love more profoundly than Brennan Manning. Here are a few excerpts I’ve collected over the years:

“When we get waylaid from our walk with God by busyness, depression, family problems, or worse, God does not abandon us. Nor, if we walk the way of trust, do we abandon God. When we wander off the path, that trust pulls us back; and we do not flinch, hesitate, or worry about being unwelcome in the Father’s arms. No matter where we are on the journey, we have a quiet confidence that our trust in God’s love gives God immense pleasure.” (Brennan Manning. Ruthless Trust. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000, p. 19.)

“…the heart of it is this: to make the Lord and his immense love for you constitutive of your personal worth. Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. God’s love for you and his choice of you constitute your worth. Accept that, and let it become the most important thing in your life.” (p. 49, quoting John Eagen. A Traveler Toward the Dawn. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1990, Brennan Manning. Abba’s Child. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1994, pp. 150-51.)

“In a moment of naked honesty, ask yourself, ‘Do I wholeheartedly trust that God likes me?’ (Not loves me, because theologically God can’t do otherwise.) ‘And do I trust that God likes me, not after I clean up my act and eliminate every trace of sin, selfishness, dishonesty, and degraded love; not after I develop a disciplined prayer life and spend ten years in Calcutta with Mother Teresa’s missionaries; but in this moment, right now, right here, with all my faults and weaknesses?’ If you answer without hesitation, ‘Oh yes, God does like me; in fact, he’s very fond of me,’ you’re living in the wisdom of accepted tenderness.” (Brennan Manning. The Wisdom of Tenderness. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002, p. 17.)

“…the splendor of a human heart which trusts that it is loved gives God more pleasure than Westminster Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, the sight of ten thousand butterflies in flight, or the scent of a million orchids in bloom.” (Brennan Manning. Ruthless Trust. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000, p. 2.)

(A repost from February 2010)

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A Prayer for God’s People


I had a wonderful time preaching the three services (9am, 11am and 6pm) at Ventura Vineyard yesterday. I have renewed respect for my friends who preach multiple services every week!

As I mentioned here yesterday, I preached from Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 on the theme of “Prayer as Relationship with God.” The recording will be available on the church’s media page sometime tomorrow.

Someone asked after the first service for a copy of my personal paraphrase of this prayer that I closed the service with. I told her I’d make it available here (Thanks for asking):

I humble myself before You, Father—Father of all fatherhood—and I ask that You would richly strengthen us with power through Your Spirit in the deepest places in us. Do this so that together we would know Christ at home in and among us. Rooted and foundationed in this place of unfailing love, enable us all to share together in the expansive width, the enduring length, the unreachable height, and the unfathomable depth of Christ’s own love for us. Open our hearts to know the love that what we can never fully know. As a result, may the life of God overflow our lives together in community. Do this and even more, God, in a way that surprises and even overwhelms us we pray, in Jesus’ name.

May God answer this prayer in my life and yours, in my community of faith and yours. Amen.

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Looking Back: Trying to Compete with God


Happy Mother’s Day! I’m looking forward to enjoying the day with Gem today. We’ll have a couple of hours as a family later this afternoon on a party boat on Lake Mission Viejo, enjoying some goodies and conversation. What a treat!

Below is a link to a post where I quoted Abbé de Tourville on the mistake of trying to love God first. It never works out.

Read more of “Trying to Compete with God”

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Looking Back: Working for God?


I continue to be amazed by the work of God in those who have come to the Journey this week. To hear the testimonies of pastors who are rediscovering the life and power of God for themselves and for their communities of faith is at points almost overwhelming. I have a profound sense of all this being a work of God alone. I sure haven’t masterminded the God stories I’m hearing from these men and women.

The challenge for those whose life work is ministry is they can fall into the “elder brother syndrome” (from the parable of the prodigal son). In July 2007, I reflected on this parable for a few days of an eight-day silent retreat in the Boston area. Below is the first of a few posts in which I shared insights I was gaining. I hope they help  you as well.

Read more of “Working for God?“

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Looking Back: Wisdom for the Wayward


Yesterday was an amazing retreat day with a great group from Big Valley Grace Community Church. They joined me at the Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. I don’t know how that day could have been more beautiful. It was so encouraging to hear the many ways that God was present in His healing, encouraging grace. Wow!

This morning, I want to take you back to a great story from the desert fathers about Mary the Harlot. It is a deeply encouraging reminder that our sin will never overwhelm God. Ever.

Read more of “Wisdom for the Wayward”

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The Courage to Care


Elton Trueblood continues to be an author of influence in my life. The words below are more than fifty years old, yet are timely to me today:

“A prominent philosopher of England has suggested the wisdom of using ‘caring’ as our best modem translation for the almost untranslatable Greek word, of which the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians is an inspired definition. The difficulty with “charity” as a translation is that, to modern ears, it means philanthropy and not much more. The trouble with ‘love’ is that it has been oversentimentalized in modern literature and smacks of softness. But caring is, as yet, an unspoiled term. It is the best we know. Thus we may begin: ‘Though I speak. with the tongues of men and of angels, and do not care, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.’ ‘Caring never ends.’ Try, in the intimacy of your own meditation, to restate that marvelous chapter, substituting ‘caring’ for the key word. The consequence may be that you have a new vision of the truth as you begin to understand what it means to have ‘the courage to care.’” (Elton Trueblood. “The Courage to Care.” The Yoke of Christ and Other Sermons. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958, p. 79.)

“Love” has ceased to mean a willing choice to act for another’s benefit. It more often means feelings of attraction towards another, or the pleasure I take in someone or something. It has become focused on my experience rather than on my behavior and way of relating to others.

Are you experiencing God’s passionate concern and care for you? How is He inviting you to offer practical care and concern for another?

Buy a copy of Yoke of Christ and Other Sermons on Amazon.com.

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Knowing the Love of God


On Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fitting to share a few words on the deep abiding love of God for us. Few have spoken to me of His love more profoundly than Brennan Manning. Here are a few excerpts I’ve collected over the years:

“When we get waylaid from our walk with God by busyness, depression, family problems, or worse, God does not abandon us. Nor, if we walk the way of trust, do we abandon God. When we wander off the path, that trust pulls us back; and we do not flinch, hesitate, or worry about being unwelcome in the Father’s arms. No matter where we are on the journey, we have a quiet confidence that our trust in God’s love gives God immense pleasure.” (Brennan Manning. Ruthless Trust. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000, p. 19.)

“…the heart of it is this: to make the Lord and his immense love for you constitutive of your personal worth. Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. God’s love for you and his choice of you constitute your worth. Accept that, and let it become the most important thing in your life.” (p. 49, quoting John Eagen. A Traveler Toward the Dawn. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1990, Brennan Manning. Abba’s Child. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1994, pp. 150-51.)

“In a moment of naked honesty, ask yourself, ‘Do I wholeheartedly trust that God likes me?’ (Not loves me, because theologically God can’t do otherwise.) ‘And do I trust that God likes me, not after I clean up my act and eliminate every trace of sin, selfishness, dishonesty, and degraded love; not after I develop a disciplined prayer life and spend ten years in Calcutta with Mother Teresa’s missionaries; but in this moment, right now, right here, with all my faults and weaknesses?’ If you answer without hesitation, ‘Oh yes, God does like me; in fact, he’s very fond of me,’ you’re living in the wisdom of accepted tenderness.” (Brennan Manning. The Wisdom of Tenderness. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002, p. 17.)

“…the splendor of a human heart which trusts that it is loved gives God more pleasure than Westminster Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, the sight of ten thousand butterflies in flight, or the scent of a million orchids in bloom.” (Brennan Manning. Ruthless Trust. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000, p. 2.)

Buy a copy of one of these Brennan Manning books on Amazon:

Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin’s Path to God

Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging

The Wisdom of Tenderness: What Happens When God’s Fierce Mercy Transforms Our Lives

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Cycling Day 1: Priceless Love


Awoke early (5am) here in Seaside OR. Blogging from my iPhone isn’t efficient, but that isn’t what I’m aiming for this week. Reading morning prayer from The Divine Hours brought me to this: “How priceless is your love, O God!” This line will be getting me through this first day.

My brother, Dan, and I will be setting up our gear this morning, hoping to see Dad at about 10:00am as he will be coming down from Astoria (having been rained out yesterday). I have a broken tube to replace (thanks to the careful handling of Alaska Air’s fine crew). And there is a Shell station one block up to put some air back in these tires.

Hope to share a real-time post here and there along the way. (Today’s photo is the view out my hotel at an overcast but not rainy Seaside. Perfect biking weather!). If you remember us today, we’d be very grateful for your prayers. I want to see every good thing God’s been preparing for to enjoy, share and give to others.

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A Good Word: Talking to Myself


“If you are troubled, discontented, dull, anxious, or fearful, say to yourself, ‘No! That does not come from my spirit! It does not come from me! Come! My soul! Be at peace! Be happy! Reassure yourself! Be kind to yourself! Do not seriously impute any of this to yourself. Know that you live with God, that you are on good terms with Him, or what is even better, that God is on good terms with you. Rejoice and be strong, my soul! And send packing all this unhappy view of things which only weakness of body and constant ill-health have conjured up.’” (Abbé Henri de Tourville. Letters of Direction. Harrisburg: Morehouse Publishing, 1939, 2001, p. 99.)

This sounds a little like how the psalm writer talks to himself:

Psalm 42:5 (NLT)
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
My Savior and my God.

How are you talking to yourself these days? Is what you’re saying in harmony with what God says or in conflict?

Buy a copy of Letters Of Direction: Thoughts On The Spiritual Life Form The Letters Of The ABBE de TOURVILLE on Amazon.com