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Contrite: (from the Latin contritus ‘ground to pieces’, i.e. crushed by guilt) is sincere and complete remorse (i.e. regret with a sense of guilt) for sins one has committed. The remorseful person is said to be contrite. shameful. [Wikipedia]

All of us have at one time or another found ourselves with a contrite heart and spirit; remorseful, down and out, feelings of loss, shame and no identity in who we are or  what we should do. It is in these dark times of the valley, that we lose connectedness from the Father- we can’t here or discern His voice, nor move within our giftedness or offer our strength as we could before.

To use Jesus’ example- we as the branch feel absolutely broken off from the vine that gives us our food and life.  All seems lost. Death seems certain.  The Father seems distant and not concerned about this bad place I am in. The assault of the evil one is on a full speed  offensive to have us question the heart of God. To question his Goodness. To doubt his intentions for us as sons and daughters of the King. Just as the enemy did with Eve in the garden- question the Father’s goodness and integrity.

When all lines of communication with the Father and Spirit seem broken, when we are struggling to keep our head above water with our finances, family, relationships, ministry, work…. and the enemy is pouncing on us… what do we do? We must persevere, but how?

The Bible is the Written Word of God. 

Jesus is the Living Word of God.

The Holy Spirit is the Spoken Word of God.

In times of great battle when our hearts and lives are overcome with a contrite spirit, let us lean upon God’s word to remind us what He has already said about this matter. In His written Word we find rest, the peace of Jesus.

Psalm 34:17-19

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.  The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them ALL. [NKJ]

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and  repentant [contrite] heart, O God. [NLT]

I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.  Heart shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. [MSG]

Isaiah 57:15 I dwell in the High and Holy Place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. [NKJ]

And in the Message version of Isaiah 57:15 it adds, “…And what I do is put a new spirit in them, get them up and on their feet again.”

Isaiah 66:2 But on this one will I look on [bless]: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. [ESV]

Unbelievable. Here is what the Bible says God’s response is to the contrite heart:

HE HEARS YOUR CRY, HE DELIVER ALL OF IT ,  HE IS NEAR, HE SEES YOU, NOTICES YOU, HE BLESSES YOU , HE WILL REVIVE YOU , HE PUTS A NEW SPIRIT IN YOU , HE DWELLS WITH YOU

Anything that we think, hear, assume or feel that is contrary is simply a lie from the enemy aimed at destroying us.  Let our prayer be over our lives, families and brothers and sisters of the faith in their most desperate hour:

“The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.  The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.  He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.  The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.  I will praise the LORD and may everyone on earth bless His HOLY Name forever and ever.”

-Psalm 145:17-21 [NLT]

May it be so.

An old truck in all it’s Glory

It was a weekday morning like any other.  Driving to work on the typically bustling and often jam packed freeway running thru the heart of the big city.  Everyone driving  fast with a mission to reach their destination first.  And there it was- as I waited at the light to get on the freeway, next to me sat  an old beaten up truck with two men in it.  Between the truck and the guys inside, they both seemed equally out of place.  The truck was dirty, scratched, faded paint, cracked glass, you get the picture.  The guys were wearing old, dirty clothes and  they were looking around both ways, on the phone seemingly asking a friend for directions and seemed lost.  As the light turned green and all the brightly colored, new clean cars raced by them to get on the freeway first, it hit me–  sometimes the best thing to be in life is a beaten up old truck letting everyone else pass you by.

To be going the other direction from everyone else. To look not ‘normal’ by your surrounding. To seem out of date, out of style and inferior by all accounts.  To be content and resting while all others race to achieve their goals. There was  a sense of inner peace, calm and unfettered freedom  to the old truck that I desired to have that escaped all  the other cars on that freeway.

As so it is with my life and yours – there comes a time [if we are so blessed to have such a moment] that you begin to see things with the eyes of an old truck.  That is, your eyes now see pretty things become ugly and  things previously unnoticed become breathtaking; goals become less consuming; and life finally starts to slow down as you see your environment in a different way.  You view your family different. It is an altogether transcendent moment, albeit a fleeting one most often that seems out of our grasp.

So what does one do once you have had ‘an old truck in the big city’ moment?  I would presume that old truck’s destniation that day was not some fancy downtown high rise office building or a fancy shopping center or even a Starbuck’s.  I would have to think he was in the city for a purpose and after that would go back to where old trucks shine like the golden sun in all their unique glory.

As so should we- follow the road that is in our good heart where God is speaking and is present and active.  Do you hear it? Or is the freeway noise of the world drowning it out??  That road won’t look like a busy city freeway during rush hour; there’s no way anyone’s heart can survive such.  The roadmap is different for each, but ask the Father to reveal to you with new eyes such a  moment of your life and may it  be your guide.  It is True.

Embrace it. It is all True.

Father’s Day 2012

A note to our Heavenly Father on Father’s Day.  Let us all remember and never forget that as believers in His Son Jesus, we are sons and daughters of the King forever. -Amen

Father,

How can I comprehend you?  The love you have for me has existed since before time; since before all that I see came into existence.  Unfathomable.

Your plan all along, even in the midst of my sin, evil and unbelief was one of ransom and rescue.  Your only begotten Son would  leave the glory of Heaven and your side to be made like man and to be poured out as a perfect Blood sacrifice.  All of this so that I could become a son of yours. Your only begotten son Jesus who you love dearly, became the first begotten, so all those who believe in your Son can come and receive the sonship and daugthership of the One True God. We get to be co-heirs with Jesus Christ to your kingdom and receive all the benefits of sons and daughters.

Why is this so hard to see? Why do I seek to indulge my own passions and desires and seek the illusion of control?  Why such unbelief on our part?

Why is this so hard to receive from you, this free gift of grace? Why do I seek to earn it based on knowledge, works, merit, actions, deeds?

This gift, this freedom, this everlasting act of grace you have bestowed- it’s all of You.  There is nothing else needed or required.

Your ways are not our ways; your thoughts are not our thoughts.  We can but receive this great love and adoption by grace that you have poured out; receive it in all humility and meekness.  You have breathed life into us and you have imparted to us life everlasting thru Jesus, the first begotten Son of many.

I am overwhelmed by you Heavenly Father, and so we do cry out Abba “Daddy”.  You are truly all we need.  I receive  sonship from you Father.  I walk into it fully and wholeheartedly and ask you to breathe your Fatherly presence over all of my life and my family.

Teach me and use me thru your Holy Spirit, how to be an earthly father.  How to offer always out of love, grace and genuine deep strength.  May your life flow out of me, your love and might always to others for your glory.

Scripture References:

Hebrew 2:10-11

John 1:1-15

Romans 8

Revelation 21:7

John 20:17

Galatians 4:5-7

1 John 3:1-3