The Tale of Two Houses

Have you ever walked into a home and been at total peace? What about that house made you at peace? Maybe it was that there wasn't any clutter, or there was an inviting smell, or the people who welcomed you in instantly put you at ease? What about that house made you pause and breath?

Have you ever walked in a home at made you ill-at ease? What was it that caused tension? Noise? Smell? Clutter? Confusion?

Imagine with me for a moment two houses side by side. This time our focus isn't so much on what the homes look like, but on what it's inhabitants experience. 

Those who live in one home experience tension, confusion, guilt, shame, addiction, pain, a lack of love and peace, violence, and death. There is a range of depths that the inhabitants experience these things. It could be that they experience mild tension and confusion and violence, all the way to a deeply intense tension, confusion, and violence. Ultimately though, they are experienced. 

The other home is quite different. The second home is one of order, peace, love, affection, fulfillment, clarity, lightness, completeness, joy, calmness, understanding, freedom, and life. I love gardens, and I imagine that this home has a beautiful indoor greenhouse with a little stream, lots of green things, and most wonderful smells. In this home the inhabitants are free to leave, but have no desire to do so.

I know which home I want to live in!!! There's just no question. Not even a moment's hesitation. Seriously. I was reading in the Bible this morning, in Romans, about slavery. Slavery isn't a physical thing I experience, or have ever experienced. According to things I've read still exists today for millions around the world (and I can hardly bear the thought and fall on my knees every time I hear about it). But it isn't something I've experienced, physically. But that isn't what Paul was referring to. He was referring to a spiritual condition. Paul says that we are slaves, either to sin, or to righteousness. We are slaves to God, or to ourselves, and by default to our mortal enemy (Romans 6-7).  When we allow sin to rule in us, to be our slave master, the natural consequences are living in the first home I described. Tension, confusion, guilt, shame, etc. We experience the torment of a slave master with no mercy, no grace. We get beaten down, and are a slave to our own lusts. We can experience this even though we have confessed Christ as Lord. Pause and reflect on a time you've experienced this.

On the other hand, those who's slave master is Christ the Lord experience quite the opposite. I've not known a gentler, kinder, more patient master. who's love knows no end. Those who work and serve in His house are free to leave at any time and experience everything described in the second house, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances. Yet those who truly are His, would never dream of leaving. They experience a life that not many find. Life, love, fulfillment to a depth many only dream of. 

Christy Nockels wrote a song and I love the picture it gives:

So, how does one move from one house to the other? Faith. Belief. Belief in Jesus. Seek Jesus. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." (John 14:6)

Jesus tells us through the prophet Jeremiah, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Jesus tells us through Paul, "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son He loves." (Colossians 1:13)

Kingdom. Gods's Kingdom. His house is a house of great peace, deep joy, and overwhelming love.

The tale of two houses, two kingdoms. Where are you living? In which home are you serving? Which master are you serving? 

Here is a beautiful post giving context to some of the Bible's passages about being bond slave.

Dancing, and Singing (in bed)

Psalm 149:3-5
"Let them praise His Name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds."

Have you sang for joy in your bed? I've sang for joy in my bed, in the shower, as I'm running, as I've danced in my kitchen. This Psalm says to dance and make music with instruments!! It says that the Lord delights in His people. It says he crowns the humble with salvation and that the saints rejoice in this HONOR and will sing in their beds. I love singing, making music, and dancing. Like I've written and said before, worship is a total body, mind, and emotion experience...but it is more than an experience. It is an act not based on what it accomplishes for me. It is in response to the work of God in my heart and my life. My heart LEAPS when God proves His love and faithfulness to me in ways I know only He knows. My heart LEAPS for joy when I can see His work in my heart...when the selfishness leaves, the pride leaves, and instead I'm left with humble awe at the work of His hands. Have you experienced this before? When there is no fear...just trust left in its place. God, the ultimate provider! He provides so perfectly and God longs for us to fully trust His provision...to not worry or doubt Him. Matthew 6:25-33. Do we really believe, in the age of everything-at-our-finger-tips, that God is still our provider? Do we believe, in the age of grocery stores or everything-else-you'd-ever-need grocery stores? Do I still believe in God my provider? Do we seek to steward well what He's given us? Do we seek His wisdom and His kingdom first?

If I can sing for joy in my bed, if I can delight in the honor of being chosen and saved and delighted in by God, I can not be fearful or worried at the same time. Is it possible? I don't find myself experiencing those two things at the same time.

God you are perfectly holy, loving, gracious, just, righteous, merciful, and you have honored us with salvation through Jesus Christ. I praise your Holy Name and sing songs and dance before YOU today. I will sing songs of joy in my bed tonight, tomorrow, and forevermore.

Surrender Doesn't Mean Defeat

Psalm 26:1-3
"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for Your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.

Psalm 56:1-4
"Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack. My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride. When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

Psalm 86:1-4 (But read the whole thing later)
"Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul."

Psalm 116:1-9
"I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: 'O Lord, save me!' The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simple hearted; when I was in great need, He saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For You, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living."

Psalm 146:1-3 (But PLEASE read the whole thing later)
"Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save."

1 Peter 4:19
"So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

Today in my study of Psalms I started in chapter 26. I read that and immediately was convicted. I have not led a blameless life. No way. No one has. In the study notes (Ryrie) it says "blameless life...sincerity of purpose and single-hearted devotion, not sinlessness." Okay. Well, sincerity of purpose and single-hearted devotion is definitely something that I crave and want. I thought about the things and desires that are pulling me in all sorts of directions right now. There are several activities I'd love to devote my time to thinking and praying about and DOING, but they have to be put on the back burner because of the things in front of my face that require my time and energy. My attention has been split. My devotion has been split. Now, the verse in 1 Peter. Suffering. There is very little in my life I'd consider suffering, especially when I consider those around the world who lack for so many things, or are being persecuted. No. I'm not suffering. However, to continue doing good does take self-control, patience. It takes saying no to my flesh and saying yes to the Holy Spirit. Surrender. I love how the ESV version states the verse in 1 Peter. Instead of "commit themselves," it uses the verb entrust. We entrust ourselves to our Creator. The Psalms I read today all speak of looking to God, entrusting ourselves to God. It talks about how God listens when we cry and of His trustworthiness, and His faithfulness.

Recently my husband and I have been working on a mammoth project outside. We're clearing out a lot of brush, limbs of trees, ivy, blackberries. It is a hot, dirty, hard job. At first it was very difficult to be motivated to jump in and participate. As I've surrendered to the plan (entrusting my soul to my Creator...that sounds so lofty, so heroic) I have found peace, and I've found that God has provided me with strength to work until the boss says it's quittin' time. I have found that I even have joy in the middle of the sticks, stickers, and dirt. Joy!! It is dirty joy, but joy all the same. Psalms 116 and 146 so perfectly state what my heart encounters when I surrender. I have also found that as I've laid out my desires in ministry, I have peace, knowing that God will work out the details and the timing.

What does surrender look like in your life? What do you get in exchange for trusting God?