He Leads Me

Recently, during a devotional time, someone read through Psalm 23 and asked us to grasp hold of one thought.  Take a moment and read through it on your own.  (From the NASB version.)

The LORD is my shepherd,
         I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life,And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

There is a lot to grab hold of there.  It is one of those scriptures that we memorize early on and easy to dismiss as childish.  At least I have.  Maybe not intentionally.  But I also keep forgetting that "the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (children.)"  Matthew 19:14

But that is a post for another day.  In Psalm 23 there is much depth and simplicity.  The thought that grabbed me this time was, "He leads me..."

Jesus does lead me.  He leads all of us.  My problem is, I try to lead myself a lot of times.  Stuff has to make sense.  I have to have a plan.  Data to be quantified and discussed and goals to achieve.  I've been doing this for the better part of 15+ years.

And most of "my plans" have done anything but get me where I want to be.  If anything I've gotten in my own way more often than not, and have all but stonewalled myself from getting to where I believe God wants me to be.

I've seen this first hand with sheep.  On my first trip to Africa I witnessed the sheep of the orphanage (and I mean literal sheep here) get out of their enclosure many times.  And almost every time I charged off to try and guide them back.  Now this comparison would work better if I had been their actual shepherd and they trusted me...but my goal was to get them back to safety.

Somewhere in their brains I think that is what they wanted, but they just kind of "go."  The one in front sets the pace, and the rest just follow.  But they were not doing what I wanted them to do.  They took a much longer, winding, pointless path to get back to their pen.  It would be 30-40 minutes before I got them back to their pen.  And of course they would charge into it like that was their goal all along.

And I'm the sheep.  Jesus is there guiding me where to go, but I'm wandering around...checking out this stick.  Investigating that shrub.  Running from the plastic bag that surely wants to attack me.

If I would just get out of my way, and listen to Jesus...I could end up where he wants me, how and when he wants me there.

So today, be encouraged to let Jesus lead you.  He has a better vantage point, and knows the land much better than we do.  Trust him.

It will not be danger free.  As the Psalm says, he will prepare a table in the presence of your enemies, and take you through the valley of the shadow of death...fear no evil, for he is with you.

I'm reminded of that bumper sticker, "God is my Co-Pilot."  While it's clever and funny for a car, it's the wrong concept to apply to living life.

Follow him.  Let Jesus lead you, and you will get to where he wants you to go.  And along the way, you'll realize that is exactly where you want to be.



grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

Seedless, Part III

What is the point of fruit that doesn't have seeds?

Well, in the context of literal fruit, it makes them easier and by some standards more enjoyable to eat.  It's so annoying to spit them out, or pick around them.

That can so easily be transplanted to the life of a follower of Jesus.  Sure, we can bear the fruit Jesus talks about without seed.  We can share some of the things he taught without the annoying little truths at the core of them.  We can love the people around us at our places of worship.  We can help our friends and family out.  It's easy to join in whatever the next outreach at the "church."

And those are all good things.  But it's not enough.

These are things that Jesus said even the "Gentiles" did that.  (Matthew 5:43-48)  It's not enough to love those we are supposed to love.  Or that love comes somewhat naturally.

For too long the "church" (and I include myself in that) has been trying to see Jesus by gazing toward the pulpits, lecterns, or relevant cafe table with a tall chair.  Please do not misunderstand.  I'm not condemning pastors or speakers or any of that.  Some of my dearest friends are pastors, and I highly respect them and what is in their hearts.  I don't know where I'd be in life if I hadn't 'gone to church," or been in a youth group.  But it's time for the congregation to stop congregating and start conveying.

It's time we turn from the pulpits and go to the people.

If we are to bear the fruit Jesus wants us to produce, we can't just gather once or twice a week for an hour.  We can still do that, but we must do more.  We have to be the Church when we leave the building.  We have to be the Church when we go to work, the store or at home.

We also won't really become the Church if we only go to those places either.  Remember what I posted the other day.  More importantly what Jesus said about the least of these.  We have to go places we wouldn't normally go.  Prisons.  Hospitals.  To the homeless.  To the widows and orphans.

Gasp, even across the imaginary property lines (or real fence) to our neighbors!

Our goal is not conversion.  You and I cannot "save" someone.  Nor is that our mission.  Jesus didn't say, "Go into the world and get people to convert."  He told us to make disciples.  To baptize.  There is nothing about us delivering salvation.

That is for Jesus.  And he said, "It is accomplished."  My sins, your sins, the sins of the world have been forgiven.  Jesus and his Spirit are the powers behind that.  They are the one who will change peoples lives.  He is the one who will move someone to cry out for salvation.  Not a clever conversation, witty video, or compelling 3 point sermon complete with a power point.

Not you.  Not me.

What you and I can do, is see Jesus on the face of every person we meet.  Sure, that might slow us down a little bit.  But what's the rush?  What do we need to race to so fast?  I know I would appreciate life slowing down a little bit.  And like I said, I'm working on it.

Maybe you're thinking, hey dude, quite writing about this stuff and put your money where your mouth is.  And you're right.  There have been a few things popping up lately that I'm pursuing, but they are not to a sharing point yet.  But I will.

We may not be able to save someone.  But we can be the hands of Jesus that bring them water when they are thirsty.  We can be the ears that listen to our neighbor, and really hear what they are saying.  We can be the smiling face in the store, either as shopper or employee.

Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."  I agree.  If we want to see people follow Jesus, we need to follow Jesus.  Where ever he takes us.  To the projects of D.C., to the suburbs of Chicago, orphanages in Africa, and neighborhoods in Pennsylvania.

I'll change Gandhi's words, and maybe someone else has already said it, but, "Be the Jesus you want to see in the world."  A revolution requires change.  That change needs to happen in those moving the revolution.  I'm praying I change every morning.  To be more like Jesus.  To be not seedless.

Be full of seeds.  Share them.

grace, peace + hope
-Bear