Tag: bible

Relationships and Feelings

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Then she kissed them and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” Ruth 1:10

We cannot manufacture compassion where no emotional connection exists. We were created to be responders—to mirror what is extended. When we are loved, we open up and love freely. But when we are spurned, our hearts retreat. When affirmation is withheld, we grow smaller and become shy. When met with stoicism, we become guarded. And when cruelty comes, everything in us wants to return it.

Naomi’s daughters-in-law wept at the thought of leaving her. She had given them their freedom, yet their hearts broke at the thought of taking it. Their tears reveal the depth of Naomi’s love. If she had been a bitter widow, there would have been no weeping—only relief.

In an ideal world, love flows naturally between parents and children, husbands and wives, friends and kindred spirits. There are tears of joy at reunions and tears of sadness at farewells. We might feel guilty when we don’t have feelings of love for certain people but in this world, love is often blocked. Some children dread returning home. Some spouses share a house but not a heart.

That’s why Jesus came to show us another kind of love—agape love. A love not rooted in feeling, but in divine will. His love reached for us while we resisted Him. He steps into our broken patterns with full understanding. He knows rejection, betrayal, and indifference. Yet He offers His heart as the remedy: “Love as I have loved you.” He gives grace to act in love long before emotion follows.

When we withhold love because we’ve been wounded, we do more than protect ourselves—we defy the cross. But when filled with His Spirit, we love anyway. It astounds those who watch when kindness meets cruelty and coldness. It won’t feel natural. It will feel like crucifixion. But God’s Spirit supplies the strength for every holy act of love.

You don’t judge me for not having feelings of love. You understand why I don’t. But You promise to supernaturally love through me. Amen

The Power of Letting Go

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Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. Ruth 1:8

Has anyone ever tried to make you pay for their pain? Because they were miserable, they wanted you to be miserable too. They couldn’t bear the thought that you might be tasting joy while they were drowning in sorrow. They set you up to have to prove that you loved them and no matter how much you poured out, it was never enough. You felt their anger rising whenever you tried to return to your life. Their unhappiness clung to you, and over time, the relationship soured in your spirit.

Naomi could have become that kind of person. She had every reason to. She was bereaved, displaced, and empty. Living in a foreign land with no husband, no sons, and no blood relatives left, she stood at the crossroads of despair and entitlement. It would have been easy for her to cling to her daughters-in-law, using guilt, grief, or manipulation to keep them bound to her side. But she didn’t. Instead, she did something remarkable. She gave them freedom. She blessed them to go. She released them from duty, knowing it would cost her dearly. It was grace—a holy generosity born from a historic trust in Yahweh.

We all know what it feels like to be tethered to someone who is perpetually unhappy, someone who plays the martyr so convincingly that we begin to believe their wholeness depends on us. They would have us become their savior, but we’re not God. We can walk beside them and hold out living water, but we cannot make them drink.

Naomi ~ someone who blesses others with freedom rather than chaining them with guilt is rare. And when God calls me to be like her, I need to remember something. Grace is transformational when I let go, when I love without control, and when I trust that the same God who cares for me will also care for those I release.

Lord, teach me when to love through sacrifice—and when to walk away in peace. Amen

Compromise and Consequences

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They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. Ruth 1: 4-5

Naomi’s story seems to unravel with sorrow upon sorrow. First, after moving to a strange land, she became a widow. In her grief, she transferred her security to her two married sons. But after ten fleeting years, they too were taken, leaving her isolated and vulnerable. Only two daughters-in-law remained beside her. Though her husband’s initial concern for his family’s welfare had been commendable, he compromised their overall well-being by moving them to a place God said was prohibited. Once there, temptation bloomed, and his sons joined themselves to foreign wives.

This was the family’s second compromise. The Chaldee, the language used by sacred writers of certain portions of the Old Testament, suggests that their untimely deaths were the direct harvest of disobedience.

Compromise always bears fruit, and its bitter taste lingers. I cannot read Naomi’s story without recognizing my own. Each time I aligned myself with unholy partnerships, the fallout returned to haunt me.

*I agreed to co-write pieces of music with people I was at odds with spiritually. Songs emerged from our collaboration that I felt pressured to record.

*I signed contracts with companies, though I had serious misgivings. Those alliances birthed endless stalemates, breeding frustration rather than creativity.

*I listened to unstable voices in seasons when God’s way seemed too strange, too slow. I set aside His whisper for the counsel that thundered louder. Those choices left aftertastes I still recoil from.

Holy alliances are worth the wait. Today I seek counsel differently. I do value feedback from experts in their field but I also turn to fellow contemplatives—souls who hear God clearly and deeply. Honoring His ways, even when they stretch me, has already spared me needless pain. I move forward with a surer step, clothed not in fear of the next consequence, but in confidence that His alliances bring both peace and fruit that will endure.

Guard my steps from unholy alliances, and give me courage to trust Your strange and narrow way. Amen

The Pen God Set On Fire

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Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you….. Jude 3a

Has God ever redirected your life? You thought you were headed one way, in a predictable direction. You weren’t ready for a divine interruption.

I’ve been in ministry long enough to have God change my teaching plans just moments before stepping onto the platform. If I were an adventurer by nature, which I’m not, I would find it easier to flow with the urges of God’s Spirit.  As one who likes predictability and order, I can strain against the loss of control when God asks me to go another direction on the spot.  But at 71, He’s done it enough times that I’ve had some practice.  With history in my rear-view mirror, I trace His faithfulness and the miraculous fruit of holy spontaneity.

Jude started his letter to the whole church, intending to write about the glories of the Gospel message. As he began to write, God made him aware of the threats against the pure Gospel: those who would add to it, those who would delete from it, or twist it to advance their own causes.  What initially was a praise-filled letter about Christ’s message turned into a call to defend something so precious.  He started with an encouraging message but was redirected to take on a tougher, more confrontational tone. His original words might have inspired.  But this word was meant to convict. Jude was ready to commit his pen to a gritty piece of literature for the glory of Christ and the advancement of the kingdom.

I just came across this John Piper quote. “My prayer for you is that your life and your ministry take on a radical flavor. A risk-taking flavor. A gutsy, counter-cultural, wartime flavor to make the average churchgoer uncomfortable ~ a strange mixture of tenderness ~ a pervasive summons to something hazardous and wonderful ~ a saltiness and brightness, something like the very message of Jesus.”

I just wrote this out and put it on a card.  It’s propped up on my desk.  I believe it coincides with some place God is taking me. It’s not yet defined.  But wherever it is, I will stand on the tenets of the faith ~ fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I will follow You even when You call me to something so radical it is out of my comfort zone.  Amen

It’s Not Always Physical!

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Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5: 11

When the prophets died, they were welcomed into heaven.  Jesus saw, firsthand, the joy that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the others experienced at their homecoming.  The same joy is predicted for us when we enter glory if we were mistreated here on earth for His sake. He told us to rejoice when we face the hardships the prophets faced because we’ll reap a future identical to theirs if we persevere through malignment, false rumors, gross misjudgments, and physical torture.

But persecution isn’t always physical.  Traumatic things often unfold when I do what is right and stand alone for it, when I speak an unwelcome truth, and when I follow my conscience. The wounds come, not because I failed, but because, by God’s grace, I was faithful.  

I’ll be excluded from groups that are uncomfortable with my passion for Jesus.  I’ll be rejected for being ‘too much’, too deep, too in love with the Word.  I’ll be isolated when hunger for righteousness is not shared and when there’s no willingness to compromise.  

If all of this resonates and makes your heart feel comforted, know this ~ We are not crazy.  We are not alone.  We are not forgotten.  We are walking the narrow path together ~ the Jesus path.  The ones the world rejects for righteousness are the very ones heaven welcomes with open arms.  What we lose for Jesus’ sake will be returned to each of us in glory.      

Help us hold fast. Amen

Religion and Old Wineskins

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No one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed.  Matthew 9:17

Don’t mix the old with the new.  That was the message Jesus wanted to convey in this passage. 

Wine, when poured into a wineskin, begins the aging process. As it ferments, the gases cause it to expand. A new wineskin will swell, and everything will be fine. However, when you pour new wine into an old wineskin, the wineskin has already stretched to its limit and may burst during fermentation. The skin can’t handle any new pressure. So, what is the allegorical meaning?

When Jesus arrived, people assumed that everything He was teaching (new wine) was to be added to their traditions (the old wineskin). But His message was clear that He came to change everything. They were instructed not to combine the old with the new.

Let me personalize it. If I’m a religious person and then encounter Jesus and am born again into God’s family, am I supposed to add Jesus to my previous religious practices? No way. I’ve been rescued from religion and all the trappings. 

When the Gospel brings with it a new paradigm, it turns my life upside down.  The old wineskin of past paradigms must be abandoned.  I called to turn away from anything associated with old religious archetypes. 

Old wineskins suffocate the dynamic Spirit of Christ. They can’t contain the fresh, transformative power that bursts forth from true faith.  Embracing new life in Christ invites us to seek vessels that blend reverence for our history but that nurtures a faith that expands and evolves.

If I have attached You to something that should be dead to me, show me.  Amen

God Doesn’t Put His Arms Down

Published on by Christine Wyrtzen1 Comment

But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.  Romans 10:20 

Consider what it’s like to run into someone you haven’t seen in a while.  You’re excited; you call out their name, and then move swiftly toward them.  You’re not aware there’s a problem between you so you quickly extend your arms to invite a warm embrace.  But to your shock, the other person freezes and stands there.  There is an awkward moment when your arms are still extended but the hug is definitely being refused.  How long will you hold your arms out in front of you?  Five seconds max, most likely.  The rebuff stings and we tend to remember these moments of rejection for a long, long time.

It’s one thing to be rejected by someone shy and cautious.  We’re willing to give them time to warm up.  But quite another to be turned down by one hostile to you.  It can be embarrassing to wear your heart on your sleeve, to look anxious or even desperate for them to return your affection.  Hostility brings an ungodly response.  We want to run the other way and do everything we can to avoid that person.

God does not act that way.  He loves.  Period.  His love never cools.  No matter how long it takes, He woos those who want Him and those who don’t.  He keeps His arms out.  Not just for a day, but throughout the ages His arms stay extended.  He is patient, gracious, vulnerable, and chooses to proclaim His love even with the risk of it never being returned.  He does not hide from His enemies but pursues them.  He is not defensive, playing it safe until they warm up.  No, His arms reach out in spite of possible rejection.

Good news for any believer who is unjustly angry with God and has been away from Him for a while.  Perhaps they’re too afraid to come home.   If only they knew that God’s arms have been extended from the moment they left.  This is also good news for the most hardened unbeliever.  No matter how badly they’ve sinned, God is searching the horizon for the first sign of their heart turning.  Who loves like that?  Only One!

You are a God like none other.  Keep reminding me that no one loves me like You.  When I’m tempted to love someone or something more than You, remind me of Your open arms when I didn’t deserve it.  Amen

First Love and Belonging

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For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Ever wonder where you belong?

Even in the best of homes, kids can feel lost.  Childhood sets them up to look for someone to invite them into a place of belonging.  Driven, and stretching out their arms indiscriminately, others own them and hurt them. 

And even in the best of churches, believers can feel lost. Dysfunctional congregational life sets them up to stay on the sidelines, wondering where they fit in. The only ones who enjoy community are the ones fortunate enough to be part of a clique.

Oh, there are no safe masters except Jesus. What is your marriage to Jesus like?  Your relationship began when you made the decision to enter into the kingdom through the door of Christ.  But perhaps you stepped inside and froze.  Afraid to trust.  Afraid to commit.  Afraid of intimacy.  Afraid of change.  Jesus is the patient bridegroom who waits for the timid with arms outstretched.  Steve Brown, of Key Life Ministries, said, “Many come to Jesus to get saved but don’t stay long enough to get loved.” Only those with a burning love for the God can endure the intensity of living in an increasingly godless age. This was the hallmark of the early Christians who went to their death singing.

First love is the only thing more powerful than the power of suffering – which is debilitating and turns people into cowards. The cords of love carry divine life.

Oh God, Your love is the greatest force in heaven, and on earth, and I know that nothing can quench it. Like a baby in a mother’s arms, I live securely. Amen

God’s Love And My Sinfulness

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For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

Many teachers today have abandoned the subject of sin. Some say, “People already struggle with poor self-esteem.   Talking about sin will only make self-hatred worse.”  But by avoiding the subject of sin, we can not have an accurate picture of the love of God.  Joyce Carol Oates, a contemporary author says, “We human beings are the species that clamors to be lied to.”  We want someone to tell us that we’re not that bad ~ that God should love us because we’re basically good people.  Here’s the dilemma. If God only loves good people, how magnificent is His love?  Not very impressive at all.   God’s love is only stunning when it is set against a backdrop of my sinfulness.

When I realize that I could walk to the ends of the earth but not find God, I will appreciate the cross.  When I realize that I could spend every last ounce of energy giving to others selflessly but end up in hell, I will appreciate the cross.  God’s love came in the face of Christ at a time when all hope for me was lost.  I was limp, in a weakened state, trying to earn His favor but failing miserably.  My sin separated me from His heart.  I was completely powerless. 

Then Jesus came!  He saw my sin but came anyway.  When I didn’t want Him, He wanted me.  When I wanted to try everything and everyone else first, He still loved me and came.  See what kind of love He offered?

If I, or someone I know, is bored by the subject of the love of God, perhaps we have lost sight of what kind of love it took for Jesus to come and save us.  His love cost Him everything…and He gave it all up willingly so He could say to each of us, “Not guilty anymore!” 

You invited me to come close to You, and then to live and find my life in You.  You have declared that absolutely nothing can threaten our relationship.  What love is this!  Amen

When I Build On The Rock

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“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  Matthew 7:24-25

Would anyone knowingly build their house on sand?  They would know the outcome.  The first storm would begin to erode the foundation.  It wouldn’t take many subsequent storms to topple the house.   Architectural creativity would have nothing to do with the outcome. Remember the last picture you saw of homes devastated by an F5 tornado?  You couldn’t tell the difference between a mansion and a shack.

If I fail to make Christ the cornerstone of my life, I am a house made of sand.  I will have no divine perspective on anything that happens to me.  I’ll take everything personally and rule without wisdom from my self-imposed throne.  My life will crumble with me at the helm.  My home will be made up of people who don’t know the mind and heart of God. When storms come, we will become a huddled group of sandcastles – trying to hold each other up.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  Daily, I can choose to live close to Jesus and under His authority.

Standing on a beach during a storm, I am pelted with the sand that the winds kick up.  There is nowhere to hide.  In and among the rocks however, there is refuge and protection.  

Give me the spiritual grit to daily fortify my foundation.  If I wait till the storm comes, it will be too late.  Amen