The Christian life is a journey that begins when we accept Christ as our Savior.  We are at the point of salvation declared righteous before the mighty, Just God having had all the penalty for our sins paid for at the Cross by Jesus who took upon Himself the full wrath that Justice and righteousness demanded.  I truly wish that I could tell you that since that day, I have always lived out that righteousness; but that would be a lie–and therefore a sin in itself.  I have been so richly blessed by God through His revelations of Him self to me; I wish I could say that for a certainty I will not fail Him today.  Yet, I have learned that I can have no confidence in my self to perform.  Each time I believe the sifting and refining work is nearing completion; another blemish is revealed. David loved God, followed after God and was called "A man after the heart of God"  Yet, in a period of time when everything seemed to be going so well, sin crept in.  He was now King as God had promised.  There in all his God Given success, he became complacent, much like we do after some victory over some sin in our own lives.  How quickly we forget our own frailty.

And so, 2 Samuel 11:1 at the time when kings go forth to battle, … David tarried still at Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass in an evening tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Thus began the desire, the fulfillment of the desire and the elaborate cover up (as though he could hide His sin from God).  Don’t become self righteousness here and think, "Well, I would never …"  I am certain if you look within, you have.  In fact, if you think that you are too "Godly to ever do such a thing"; you are about to.  David had thought he hid his sin well, covered it over; but he was about to realize that he had not dealt with it before God nor within His own heart.  Nathan then goes before the King.

2 Samuel 12: 

And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.

For David, the weight of his sin came crashing down upon him at that moment.  Have you ever been there?  I know I have.  One of those times was when I crying with frustration to God I had asked Him, "Why must you always break my heart?"  Somehow in my broken theology at the time, I had believed that God would provide me with a companion to love me–"the desire of my heart". That belief had led me down many paths which often led me to compromise.  After being widowed in 1994, I was crushed.  My husbands first declaration of his love for me came only 24 hours before his death (before that his own fears had caused him to always say, "I married you because you are a good woman, not for love".)  Still, I believed because I had been faithful to God; God would now provide someone.  (Note, "I had been faithful"—again, marred theology because "I" have nothing without grace to be faithful with".  So back to what happened many years later in 2005, as I cried out to God, "Why must you always break my heart?"   As my angry sobbing began to quiet, I heard the gentlest of voices as God whispered back, "Oh, Child, do you not see? It has been you who broke my heart.  Do you not realize that I am the companion and the love you seek after?  Do you not know that I love you beyond anything that you could ever imagine?  Why do you not see that I am standing here with everything that you need–desiring to lavish you with my hope, my joy, my love and my glory?  At that moment, my heart shattered with the weight of my own sin.  That is what lead to the writing of my book, "A Broken and Contrite Heart".  Once we reach this point of utter brokenness, we change forever how we see God and ourselves.  Like an epiphany.

Jonathan Edwards said this so well,

The more a true saint loves God with a truly gracious love, the more he desires to love Him, and the more miserable he is at his lack of love to Him. The more he hates sin, the more he desires to hate it. The more he mourns for sin, the more he longs to mourn for it. The more his heart is broken for sin, the more he prays that it may be far more broken. The more he hungers and thirsts after God, the more he faints and fails in seeking after God. Forgetting those things that are behind, he reaches forth to those things that are before. He ever presses toward the far-off mark. 
Jonathan Edwards
The Works of Jonathan Edwards

So, we need to look at the elements of restoration that takes place in the heart shattered by sin so as to truly serve; for one cannot stay in that shattered state and accomplish the work God has intended for you.   If we wallow in our guilt, we remain focused on our self; yet, we need to get our eyes off of our self and focus on the Amazing Grace which is God.  Most of the elements are God’s doing; but it must begin with these. 

Element #1. Recognizing who God is.  He is the Sovereign King of the Universe, Perfect Righteousness, Perfect Justice and Creator of All of Heaven and Earth who chose to pay the penalty of our sin at grave cost to himself so as to provide a way for sinful, self centered man to have a relationship with Him. He desires to share His wealth of Love, Joy, and Glory with our pauperized hearts–despite our being paupers because of our own foolishness. Psalm 51: 1, 8, 12)

Element #2. Recognizing and Acknowledging Our own sin.  Whether that be a Christian or an unbeliever, there can be no restoration until we recognize the sin and it’s affect upon our relationship with God.  This is greater than just lip service, this is that brokenness that comes from recognizing our utter unworthiness of His Grace.  (Psalm 51:  3,4, 5)

Element #3:  A Desire to be restored and to  seek after God with all our Heart and Soul.  Seeing Him as our Greatest Treasure.  (Psalm 51: 2, 9-11, 14)

Element #4:  A Desire to worship and serve God with all our being.  (Psalm 51: 13, 14-17)

Tomorrow, we will look at the elements of restoration God Brings in Response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPXAju9z7Cs  Broken and Spilled Out.

 

Psalm 51: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

This Christian walk and this journey leads us through paths that are strewn with obstacles, pains, trials, valleys and moments of great joy.  How else would God be able to transform us into people who can truly see His love, His joy, and His Glory.  We are always so caught up in our self, our counterfeit joys and our own desire for self Glory; that it would take a lot of remodeling to ever change these lumps of clay into something beautiful for His kingdom or into hearts capable of seeking and savoring the most precious gifts He desires to give.  God often allows Satan to "sift us" as He allowed Him to sift Job, David, Peter, and I daresay all of the great men and women of God.  Unless our hearts become broken and Contrite, there will never be enough room within them to be filled with God’s love.  So, step by step, glory by glory, we are being transformed into His image.

Psalm 16: 

7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Keep looking to Jesus.  He has promised to complete the work in me.  So God, keep chiseling; because at the end of all your work I will know how to bask in Your Glory, bathe in Your Love, and Overflow with Your Joy.

What cause have they who have an interest in Christ, to glory in their Redeemer! They are often beset with many evils, and many mighty enemies surround them on every side, with open mouths ready to devour them. But they need not fear any of them. They may glory in Christ, the rock of their salvation, who appears so gloriously above them all. They may triumph over Satan, over this evil world, over guilt, and over death. For as their Redeemer is mighty, and is so exalted above all evil, so shall they also be exalted in him, They are now, in a sense, so exalted. For nothing can hurt them. Christ carries them, as on eagle’s wings, high out of the reach of all evils, so that they cannot come near them, to do them any real harm. 
Jonathan Edwards
The Works of Jonathan Edwards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRfgvtXLvo8

“A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun. Little foxes spoil the vines; and little sins do mischief to the tender heart. These little sins burrow in the soul, and make it so full of that which is hateful to Christ, that he will hold no comfortable fellowship and communion with us. A great sin cannot destroy a Christian, but a little sin can make him miserable….

“Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent?” – from Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

     11 Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. 1 Chronicles 29:11

I have written to you with great truth and conviction about the keys to a forgiving heart and walking through those steps.  I wrote yesterday morning about God being my buckler, quickly shielding from all the fiery darts.  I stand firm on all those convictions, then last night at the meeting why did I break down, crying, unable to stop as my mouth began to talk.  All of the feelings of perceived pain, sorrow, frustration, and rejection came bubbling out of me.  What part of trusting God came out in that?  Where did my faith go for those fleeting moments?  I dare say I don’t know; but, this I do know.  Once more, I was trying too hard to work to prove my worth, since deep within me I battle that thought that no matter how hard I try, I will never be good enough.  I was too tired and I forgot to pray before the meeting. Additionally, that little thorn had been left in for the last year; despite my searching for it to remove it.  It had festered and grown.  If I had told them of my perceived pain last year then it could not have grown; I would have known for a fact that it was only perceived and never intended.   So today, once more I bow before my Father and am so grateful that..as David tells us in Psalm 103:

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

And I am forever so glad to be His Chosen Child, unconditionally loved by God.  God Alone is My only hope of Victory against the thorns.

So today, I start again,  I will once more go forth into this world (though I would really love to just sit with my Father).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRbWAtU6LPw

 

Where can we find the strength each day to face the day before us?  Where is the hope that will allow us to one more day step forth from our beds to face the struggles set before us and within us? How can we ever hope to win our own battles against the covetous, self exalting desires of our own hearts to defeat sin’s hold upon us?  Wherein lies our hope of salvation?  It is Jesus Christ, our only hope.  Even David in the Old Testament knew this.  If the Messiah never came, there was no hope for us who are no better than maggots as David had come to realize in Psalm 22.  The old Testament frequently points us to a portrait of Christ who would be the only hope.  Look at Psalm 20. 

Psalm 206 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

Christ is that saving strength of God’s right hand as is demonstrated further in Hebrews 12.

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our only hope in this battle against sin is the Saving Grace provided by Christ’s sacrificial offering for our sin on the Cross.  He died and rose victorious against sin; that we might be clothed in His Righteousness.  It is in His strength that we face each step that lies before us.  Fully trusting and hoping in Him to perform that which I am incapable of.  That kind of hope causes every fiber of my being to pour forth love, devotion, and praise to Him. He has won the victory for me.  Look once more to a Psalm of David which enumerates this.

Psalm 18: I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Imagine this.  Christ is that unmovable rock, the foundation of my salvation.  A stone that cannot be moved, though the earth tremble or the tornado winds destroy all else–the foundation holds firm.  (Luke 6:48)  He is my fortress–a hiding place protected from Satan’s flaming arrows of doubt.  He is my deliverer from my own foolish desires for counterfeit desires.  He is my strength when the central core of my being is beaten, wounded and tired from the battles of this life as I run into His arms for solace and comfort while He cradles me in His arms and sings a song of Joy over me. (Zephaniah 3:17).  I can trust Him, who sacrificed everything that I might be His Child so He could pour out His Love, His Joy, and His Glory upon me.  He is my buckler.  A buckler was a weapon used to protect against the enemy:

• Hand protection: The primary use of the buckler was to protect the sword hand.
• Deflector: The buckler’s lightness and curved center made it excellent for deflecting attacking blades.
• Blinder: The light blades used in conjunction with the buckler depended on rapid movements, which meant that a single second was an important advantage. The wielder of the buckler could use the buckler to shield his sword-hand’s position from view, keeping his opponent from guessing his next strike.
• "Metal fist": A buckler could be used to directly attack an opponent by punching with either its flat face or its rim.
• Binder: The buckler could be used to bind an opponent’s sword hand and weapon as well as their buckler against their body. The buckler was also very useful in grappling, where it allowed an opponent’s arms to be easily wrapped up and controlled.

Can you imagine God being the buckler while shouting to Satan–"Ha, that arrow can’t touch my child.  Take that.  Watch how I wrap this buckler around your hand, Satan and render you powerless."  He did that on the cross and continues to each day stand as your shield against Satan’s blows.  Do you really know and believe that?  The horn of my Salvation is Jesus. 

Luke 1 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us

The horn referred to is the one referred to by David in Psalm 92: 10 which was one that destroyed the enemy and protected one against the poisonous darts of the enemy.  Christ is He who destroyed the power of Sin over us, for all who would believe and claim this His Gift of Mercy and Grace. 

And He is my High Tower.  Remember when the people of Babel decided in their own strength to build a "tower to God"; they couldn’t and neither can I.  But Jesus Christ completed that High Tower so that I might commune with God.  I can boldly go before His throne of Grace.  Hebrews 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

So my Hope to have the strength to take the next step is based upon Jesus Christ.  I can trust that I will be provided the future Grace for each step I must take today with His power to keep my foot from sinking into the quicksand that lies ahead.  My part in this?  To keep my eyes focused on Him. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlaZ2Jrem7I

 

Yesterday, we began to look at pain, sorrow and suffering in the Christian Life as a means of our being able to seek, savor and thus display the comforting beauty of God to a world in need of comfort.  We seek comfort, we seek beauty, and we seek to see or feel Glory.  God’s created us so that He can share His love, His joy, and His glory with us.  Yet, our finite minds though seeking that; get caught up in counterfeit love, counterfeit joy and counterfeit glory; unless the Spirit unveils the truth so that we might see the beauty of perfect righteousness, perfect love, and perfect joy as displayed on the cross when Jesus was willing to suffer and die to take the penalty for our sins.  Perfect righteousness because He knew no sin.  Perfect Love that was willing to sacrifice everything and take the full wrath that sin deserves upon Himself so as to restore a relationship with man allowing man to experience real love, real joy, and share in that beauty, that glory which was His in eternity past and future.  Perfect Joy, a joy that comes as a final product when all those who would believe are gathered around the throne of heaven with him, was willing to take the shame of the cross forever looking forward to that joy that was to come.  (much like a parent who sacrificially gives of themselves so that they might see the wonder of their children and then grandchildren as they develop into men and women of whom they are proud–though this even pales in comparison; I thought it might help some of you understand).  When Moses stood upon the mount to receive the law written in stone, he was unable to look upon God’s full glory and beauty.  A Glory so great that his own face reflected that glory and required a veil be placed.  That veil became broken when Christ died on the cross, the ultimate display of Glory and beauty wrapped into one.  Once you are able to see the display of Beauty and Glory that God would do such a thing for a world who rejected Him and sought after counterfeit beauties–how wondrously beautiful beyond our comprehension, only then can you begin to fathom His Glory displayed, His Beauty showcased as more deserving of our praise, worship, and awe than anything else we can seek after.  Look at the following verses. 

2 Corinthians 3: 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Once I begin to see the Glory and Beauty of the Lord and focus my gaze upon Him, seeking Him, savoring Him; I am transformed by the work of the Spirit.  Little changes in my image, little glimpses of His Glory displayed by my actions.  Ever so tiny at first are the changes; yet, little by little I lay aside other counterfeit desires to exchange them for His.  As that happens the trivialities of this world fade into the background.  Yes, I said trivialities, because however meaningful or important your moment of suffering or moment of joy in worldly things; they pale into nothingness when you begin to see the Magnificence of His Glory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhvXOIVsRv4