But His Brother Stayed

Most everyone knows the story of the lost son in Luke 15, or as it is most commonly known, "The Prodigal Son".  

You know, the one who took his share in his inheritance, squandered it, and was so poor that even his low-end job of feeding pigs wasn't enough to buy him food (he longed even for the pods he fed the pigs).  In that moment he realizes his misfortune and decides to return to his father's house, where he will ask his father to hire him as a servant because he's unworthy, etc., etc.  And upon his return, his father sees him coming, and prepares a lavish feast for the lost son who now is found.

But I don't really want to focus on the prodigal son.
I want to focus on the son who stayed.
The brother who, hearing of the celebration, becomes angry. 

After all, he hadn't gone and squandered all his wealth on "wild living".  He stayed with his father, obeyed all his commands, worked hard.  I'd venture so far to say he probably had a family of his own, and had it pretty good  in the family business.  He probably enjoyed fellowship with his father, too.  

When his brother returns, he is so angry he won't even see his brother.  So his father pleads with him, invites him in to celebrate with everyone.  

And he replies, "Look, all these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.  Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" (Luke 15:29-30)

I love his father's response. 

"My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours." (v. 31, emphasis mine)

Most people who read this story relate to being the lost son.  And let's face it, even those of us who have been believers all our lives were lost - or are lost - at some point.  

But, in being a believer all my life, I relate more to the brother who stayed, and I don't often see or hear much about him, except the usual, "His attitude was totes in the wrong place.  He was so selfish.  What did he ever need a party for?  He never wanted a party until that point."

Well...ok, sure, maybe he was being a little selfish, and I'm not at all condoning his arrogance in regards to his lost brother.  

The point I want to make is that, for those of us who have been believers, been "with the father" all our lives, it can often seem like our faith, works, choices, whatever, go unnoticed by our Father. 
It can often feel like such a big deal is made over new believers, but for us, it's just, "Oh, you know the drill."  And we should rejoice with those who were lost but now are found.

But here's what I want to say to those of us who feel like the brother who stayed:

We have more authority than we realize.

The brother was angry with his father for never giving him a party.  He was jealous.  

But he could have asked at any time.  

I'm sure there must have been hundreds of reasons for celebration in his life.  If he was married, well...the wedding.  That's reason to celebrate.  His children another.  A successful year.  An answer to prayer.  Good grief, didn't they have birthdays back then?!  

What keeps us from asking?

"Ask, and it will be given to you..."(Matthew 7:7).

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it," (John 14:13-14).

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests," (Ephesians 6:18)

You know what I think?
I think, for those of us who have "always been with the father", we feel like we shouldn't have to ask.  We assume everything we want/need/desire will just be handed over to us.  

And when it doesn't happen, we wonder why.
We ask, "Does our Father truly love us?  Are we really His children?"

Well, first off, those are lies, because the Word says that those of us who believe are children of God, meaning we share the inheritance (Galatians 6:26-29; 1 John 3:1-2).

The brother who stayed probably assumed that, being with his father already, things should have just been given to him.  

But there's so much power in asking.  
Yes, God knows our thoughts, desires, actions, innermost being (Psalm 139:1-16).

But if our assumptions were true, that things will just start happening, coming our way, then...why would God tell us to ask?

What is in your heart?  What do you truly desire?  What do you want to see God doing in your life?  Do you need healing?

Ask Him.  
I know that sounds like a band-aid phrase, and I'm sure you're imagining an air-headed, high-pitched voice saying these things.  

But seriously.
What keeps us from asking our Father for anything, when we are with Him, and all He has is ours?

(I really hope this made sense, and isn't taken out of context.)

To Hear His Voice

So, this has been on my mind.

Well, actually, a lot of things have been on my mind, but this is one of them:

That I wish to walk closer with God, learn to hear Him when He speaks, to listen to Him.
I want to know Him more intimately.

I always struggled with prayer, and I want to pray more.  

Just as Paul says in Ephesians 6:18:

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."

I mean, we're supposed to pray all the time, be in constant union with the Lord.  

If He desires this unity, I want that to be my desire.

So, here we are.  
I've decided to challenge myself, and with it being the first of October, sounded like a good starting place.

I want to spend more time with my Savior.  
I want to walk with God, and hear His voice, pray with the intention to hear and listen.

"The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.  The watchman opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."
John 10:2-4

Hope this makes sense.  My brain is a little foggy, but I think I got across my main point.

Peace.

Joshua 1:8

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 
meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything
written in it.  
Then you will be prosperous and successful." 

(italics by me)

Habukkuk 3

Praise to God, Immortal Praise

Praise to God, immortal praise,
For the love that crowns our days;
Bounteous Source of every joy,
Let Thy praise our tongues employ.

These to Thee, my God, we owe,
Source whence all our blessings
    flow;
And for these my soul shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise.

Yet, should rising whirlwinds tear
From its stem the ripening ear;
Should the fig tree's blasted shoot
Drop her green untimely fruit,

Should the vine put forth no more,
Nor the olive yield her store;
Though the sickening flocks should
    fall,
And the herds desert the stall,

Yet to Thee my soul shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise;
And, when every blessing's flown
Love Thee for Thyself alone.

- Anna Laetitia Aikin Barbauld (1743-1825)

Whoa, Dang! Been a While, Right?

I think the title says it all right thar.

Yep, it has been a while.

So let me catch you up on what's been happenin' on this end.

Well, I'm engaged!  
And getting married in nineteen days!

And I moved all the way across the USA to be closer to fiance.  I've been here since the end of January, and am loving every minute of it.  

I got a job with my cousin's aunt as a faux finisher/muralist!  So I'm using my artistic talents in a wonderful way.  
I am also designing a logo for a ministry, and doing my own sketching/painting on the side while I plan for this wedding.  

God has been showing me a lot between my last post and now.  This whole move/getting married thing is an incredible learning experience, and I love it. I'm learning how to truly depend on Him for everything.  

And He is drawing my fiance and me closer and closer together, and I love that.  He has provided me with such a wonderful man.  

Anyway, I will be updating more soon!  Just kinda waiting for things to settle (aka until after the wedding) before jumping into updating with all sorts of deep and meaningful things.  

I am also starting up an art blog on Tumblr, if anyone would like to follow me there!  My link is on the sidebar there.  On the left.  Where it's always been. 

I thought about making this my art blog, but I think I'll keep the two separate, because I like posting things I've learned about life, love, and God here, and I wanna keep it that way.  But, I'm open to suggestions!

Also, got a new DeviantART account.  It is also on the sidebar, over thar.  

Hope all is well with ya'll!  

Deliverer

I'm not the greatest when it come to asking for help.

Pretty terrible at it, actually.

You know, something I've been thinking about lately is how often we don't just ask God for help the first time we know we need it. I don't know about you, but when I'm either in trouble, or stuck, whatever, I try to fix the problem on my own before working up the ladder of those who can help, and usually, God is my last resort. It so goes against my grain to ask for help when I need it.


When I've got a problem, it usually goes something like this:

I have a problem (big, small, whatever).
I try to fix it on my own -- fail.
I try other people -- problem either gets worse or more complicated because now I have other opinions to weigh in my head.
I try on my own again -- double fail.
Over-analyzation = frustration.
Turn anthill into mountain.
Rant and rage and holler and curse.

...I (finally) try God -- win.
Duh.

Maybe it's a pride thing.


Why don't I ever just go to the source of authority when I need it, instead of trying it all my own way?
Because I'm human, and proud, and ashamed to ask for help, even for the simplest of problems. Rah.


What prompted this post was something I read in 1 Kings 1:29-30a tonight.

"The king then took an oath: 'As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel....'"

Often, the verses that jump out at me are verses like these, that don't really have a whole paragraph dedicated to the few words that came to my attention. 

"Who has delivered me out of every trouble...."

The story here is old king David promising Bathsheba that he will keep the oath he made in swearing that Solomon would become king in his place. 

Now, let's face it.  David may have been a man after God's heart, but he was no angel (and even angels fall).  But every single circumstance he went through, God was there to deliver him, to see him through.  How many countless times has David's life been spared by God's grace?  Even though David sinned, God was still his deliverer.

David wasn't perfect.  I don't care how many people use him as an example of how we should be, praising God, trusting in Him, etc.  David was so human.  He sinned.  But he sought forgiveness and deliverance.

God promises deliverance to those who ask Him.

Psalm 72:12-14
"For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.  He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.  He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in His sight."

Psalm 3:8
"From the LORD comes deliverance."

2 Corinthians 1:10-11a
"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us.  On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers."

Even Jesus, in giving us the LORD's prayer, tells us to ask God "to deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13).

Matthew 7:7-11
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 

Which of you, if his sons asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"

James 5:13
"Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray."

God wants us to ask Him.  He knows how to help us, what we need to be delivered from whatever circumstance we're in.  And He is so willing. 

God promises His deliverance.  All we have to do is ask. 

How amazing is that?  It's so simple.

Devoted

So, I realize that I have not done anything that I suggested in my last post.


Not because I don't want to have another challenge (but it's just so...challenging! Derp), or start an art blog. 


Actually, at the moment, the art blog idea isn't as important.


But praising God everyday, giving Him the glory, recognizing the need for worshipping Him, is.
Whether I feel like it or not.
Whether I can actually think of anything to praise Him for or not.
Whether it's through words or acts.


I think something happened between now and September 27th (I know, that you know, that I know, that you know - but that's not the point I'm making here).


I think I got comfortable.


Too comfortable.


I slowly slipped onto the edge of the fence, and haven't realized, until now, that I'm still sitting there.


I know my devotional life with Yeshua has been compromised.  It's something that has been on my mind and heart for a while now.  But I haven't done anything about it up to this point.


I know the dangers of a lukewarm soul, and have felt its safe arms keep me from embarking on a deeper, more intimate level with my Lord.  And I don't want to be in that place again.


So, how have I realized all of this?


First, God is amazing with how He does stuff.


That's right: stuff.


I was getting caught up on some over-due Bible study reading, finally getting to the last chapter in Leviticus.  It's all about redeeming what belongs to the Lord, or how to dedicate something or someone to Him.  Pretty straight-foreword stuff, I guess, though I was kinda confused while reading it.  But the whole emphasis on devotion to the Lord made me think about how lightly I take my devotion to Him, how easy it is to take it so lightly.


Then one of my Bible side-note doodgimuhickies pointed out verse 28:


"But nothing that a man owns and devotes to the LORD - whether man or animal or family land - may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD."


Oh yes, I take it so lightly.


I am redeemed from sin and death by the death and resurrection of Yeshua Messiah. I have been cleansed from my sin by His blood. I have been made new in Him.


And in accepting Him as my Lord and Savior, I have a choice:


I can willingly offer my entire self to Him as a living sacrifice, or just...not.


One thing I do know, there is no middle-ground, no compromising. I am either fully devoted, or fully against.


Even the Israelites could not compromise what they dedicated to the Lord. They could not decide that they didn't like what they dedicated to Him, good or bad, and trade it in for something else. Whatever they substituted, both the dedication and the substitute become holy to the Lord, and are irredeemable (Lev. 27:33).


I can't decide that I only want to give a portion of my being to Him, or decide that I want to give Him something else in exchange, for whatever reason. He wants all of me, my complete devotion.

So now that it's finally clicked in my head, my prayer is this:

For a heart on fire for the Lord, fully devoted to Him and His purpose for my life. 

My challenge now:

To live it out, take it seriously.

Hope this all made sense.