A Boomer in the Pew

Andrew Murray's "Waiting on God" (Day #16) - For His Light in the Heart

This is a photograph that I took in Yosemite National Park, a few years ago.  For a photographer, the difference between a great photograph, and a mediocre one, is great light.

This post is part of my 31 day journey through Andrew Murray's devotional treatise, "Waiting on God".  You can find my reasons for this journey at this link.

Psalm 130:5-6 - I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

It would seem that this time of recession has put in many a man's heart a weariness.  I was speaking with a good friend last night, and he confided in me that he was great with weariness.  Just plain tired of fighting this economy.  I understood being tired.  I understood being weary of things that weigh us down.  I understand longing, longing for the Light. 

Andrew Murray teaches us that God's creation gives us the answer:

"Those beautiful trees and flowers, with all this green grass, what do they do to keep the sun shining on them?  They do nothing; they simply bask in the sunshine, when it comes.  The sun is millions of miles away, but over all that distance it sends its own light and joy; and the tiniest flower that lifts its little head upwards is met by the same exuberance of light and blessing as floods the widest landscape.  We have not to care for the light we need for our day's work; the sun cares, and provides and shines the light around us all the day.  We simply count upon it, and receive it, and enjoy it.

The only difference between nature and grace is this:  that what the trees and the flower do unconsciously, as they drink in the blessing of the light, is to be with us a voluntary and a loving acceptance.  Faith, simple faith in God's word and love, is to be the opening of the eye, the opening of the heart, to receive and enjoy the unspeakable glory of His grace.  And even as the trees, day by day, and month by month, stand and grow into beauty and fruitfulness, just welcoming whatever sunshine the sun may give, so it is the very highest exercise of our Christian life just to abide in the light of God, and let it, and let Him, fill us with the life and the brightness it brings.

And if you ask, "But can it really be, that even as naturally and heartily as I recognize and rejoice in the beauty of a bright sunny morning, I can rejoice in God's light all the day?"  It can, indeed."

As I read this, I asked myself the same question, "Is it that simple?  I need only abide, wait, and allow God's light to shine in my life?  Do you mean that I can unshackle myself from these self placed woes, and merely trust God to provide?  Rather than making myself weary, fighting each day to win my self imposed battles, I need only allow God to provide the light?"

Imagine a life that is completely resigned to a holy God, whose sole pleasure is to make himself known, and lavish his greatness upon his children.  Certainly we live is a fallen world, but God, nonetheless, desires to lavish his most beautiful light in our lives, and thereby make us light, salt, a beacon shining on a hill.

My lack of faith has me shadow boxing all the day, and I am most weary.

Oh my soul, learn, learn to abide in God!

American Idol Kris Allen sings "God of this City"

Looking for feedback about my rewritten "About the Boomer" page

I have been working on my Google profile.  As many of you know, we have just launched a new business, Blog Consulting, LLC.

As a matter of authenticity, and transparency, it is my desire that people are able to see all facets of David Porter's life.  It is my opinion, that I would be duplicitous, if I were to try to hide my faith from the business world, and vice versa.

At the end of the day, my faith stems from a God given awareness that my ancestors did not crawl out of a lake of primordial soup.  In fact, this belief is held by a significant percentage of the world. 

So why are we sometimes afraid to admit this belief?  Well, it seems that we also somehow believe that this faith now requires perfection, and holiness in all of our actions.

That is so far removed from reality, it is preposterous.  Trust me, I am not perfect, and I am not holy.

I do, however, long to possess these things, and have set my life on a course to bring them more, and more into my life.

Having said all that, for those of you who follow this blog, may I ask a favor?

Would you please give my rewritten "About the Boomer" page a peek, and give me some feedback?

Is it open, authentic, and transparent?  Is it welcoming to those who might venture here from the business world?

A Memorial Day Tribute

This is a photograph that I shot a few years ago, in Washington D.C.

Andrew Murray's "Waiting on God" (Day #15) - For His Counsel

"Submersion of Pharaoh in the Red Sea", c 1515-1520, by Andrea Previtali.

This post is part of my 31 day journey through Andrew Murray's devotional treatise, "Waiting on God".  You can find my reasons for this journey at this link.

Psalm 106:13 - But they soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.

From Andrew Murray:  "This is said of the sin of God's people in the wilderness.  He had wonderfully redeemed them, and was prepared as wonderfully to supply their every need.  But, when the time came, "they waited not for his counsel."  They thought not that the Almighty God was their Leader and Provider; they asked not what His plans might be.  They simply thought the thoughts of their own heart, and tempted and provoked God by their unbelief.  'They waited not for his counsel.'"

I am currently read through the whole of the Bible.  Currently, I am in the Book of Numbers, and it is amazing to me how many times Israel turned their backs on God.  Over, and over, and over.

The great point that Andrew Murray would have us learn here, is that perhaps our greatest temptation to turn away from God, is right after we have seen his blessing.

From Andrew Murray:  "The great danger in all such assemblies [church gatherings] is that in our consciousness of having our Bible, and our past experience of God's leading, and our sound creed, and our honest wish to do God's will, we trust in these, and do not realize that with every step we need and may have a heavenly guidance."

How true is that!

When I am in a period of God's great blessing, it has been my habit to certainly be thankful, but then to press on with my own steam.  How much wiser to remain in constant contact with the Father, and perhaps see even greater blessing, and/or results.

It is as though we innately tell God, "I only need you when I can't do something myself", thereby making him more like Santa Claus, then our heavenly Father.

How sad that must make our Father. 

Oh my soul, wait only upon God, in good times, and bad!

Andrew Murray's "Waiting on God" (Day #14) - The Way to the New Song

This post is part of my 31 day journey through Andrew Murray's devotional treatise, "Waiting on God".  You can find my reasons for this journey at this link.

Psalm 40:1-3 - I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

I have no words to add to the counsel of this departed saint, on this day.  I will simply let him speak through my blog:

"Come and listen to the testimony of one who can speak from experience of the sure and blessed outcome of patient waiting upon God.  True patience is so foreign to our self-confident nature; it is so indispensable in our waiting upon God; it is such an essential element of true faith that we may well once again meditate on what the word has to teach us.

The word "patience" is derived from the Latin word for suffering.  It suggests the thought of being under the constraint of some power from which we want to be free.  At first we submit against our will; experience teaches us that when it is vain to resist, patient endurance is our wisest course.  In waiting on God it is of infinite consequence that we not only submit because we are compelled to, but because we lovingly and joyfully consent to be in the hands of our blessed Father.  Patience then becomes our highest blessedness and our highest grace.  It honors God, and gives Him time to have His way with us.  It is the highest expression of our faith in His goodness and faithfulness.  It brings the soul perfect rest in the assurance that God is carrying on His work.  It is the token of our full consent that God should deal with us in such a way and time as He thinks best.  True patience is the losing of our self-will in His perfect will.

Such patience is needed for the true and full waiting on God.  Such patience is the growth and fruit of our first lesson in the school of waiting.  To many a one it will appear strange how difficult it is truly to wait upon God.  The great stillness of soul before God that sinks into its own helplessness and waits for Him to reveal Himself; the deep humility that is afraid to let its own will or its own strength work aught except as God works to will and to do; the meekness that is content to be and to know nothing except as God gives His Light; the entire resignation of the will that only wants to be a vessel in which His holy will can move and mold;  all these element of perfect patience are not found at once.  But they will come in measure as the soul maintains its position, and ever again says, 'Truly, my soul waits upon God; from Him comes my salvation:  He only is my rock and my salvation.'"

Abba, pull me from the mire, set my feet upon rock, and please, I pray, put a new song in my heart.

Oh my soul, wait only on God, and long for the heart's new song!

Midianite Whores, Israel's Worship of Sex gods, and God's Jealous Love for His People

"Impalement by Phinehas", 1695, woodcut, by Johann Christoph Weigel.

Continuing my journey through my ESV Study Bible, we find that "While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab."

The Israelites are camped at the back door of the promised land.  Currently this land is inhabited by the Canaanites, who worshiped a false god named Baal, who was regarded as a fertility god.

Obviously, with the language presented in this text, this "worship" had to do with sex, and many of God's people were seduced into "whoring" with these people.

The retelling climaxes as Phinehas, evidently catches a prominent Jewish man in the act of fornication, with a Midianite  whore, and kills them both with his spear.

It is easy for the natural mind to continually wonder at the violence presented in the Hebrew Canon, but as we meditate on these things, I think it serves us well to attempt to see things from God's perspective.

This god, named Baal, was likely a demon.  Furthermore, it was not likely that this demon was alone, right?  So here we see God's chosen, the Israelites, having sex all over the place, with a nation apart from God, involved in sexual demon worship.

Naturally God is going to be upset, and we see Phinehas acting with God's "jealousy". 

As I read through the desert wanderings of Israel, it is easy to shake my head in contempt.  However, I must catch myself, and remember that I too daily wander from the God I love.  It may not be in worship to a demon sex god, but wandering still I go.

Although I don't clearly understand, I am certain that I should draw great comfort in the understanding that God is jealous for my affections.  He loves me perfectly, and yet daily I wander from him.

I am thankful to possess the Holy Spirit, who leads me daily to be more like Christ.  Furthermore, I am most grateful that when God looks down upon my daily transgressions, he sees not me, but sees righteousness,  as I am cloaked with Christ's righteousness.

For More than We Know - Andrew Murray's "Waiting on God" (Day 13)

This post is part of my 31 day journey through Andrew Murray's devotional treatise, "Waiting on God".  You can find my reasons for this journey at this link.

Psalm 39:7-8 - And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?  My hope is in you.  8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.  Do not make me the scorn of the fool!  9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth,  for it is you who have done it.

I suppose the great problem of my faith is that I have been a guy who is accustomed to getting things done under, seemingly, my own steam.

I have chosen to wait upon God.  But while I wait, it is also very apparent that Satan has brought out the big guns.  The assault of his accusations are relentless.  Hourly, he bashes upon the walls of my faith.

I call for out for more faith.  I read, oh how I read, and devour God's word.  How long Lord?

I have new understandings now, about what it means to wait.  I am diligently working to show myself faithful in these new understandings.

And then today, Andrew Murray dishes up even more.  "David", he seems to say, "it is true that you have laid your concerns before the Lord, but you bring them with your own expectations.  Why would you propose to limit almighty God to your finite solutions?  David, simply bring your troubles to your heavenly Father, and leave the solution to him.  He is God.  You are not.  Can it be, David, that your heavenly Father desires to answer your prayer in a far greater measure?  Just as you delight in surprising your children, your Father receives his greatest glory, when he answers your prayers in completely unexpected, and delightful ways.  David, in this case, just bring the problem to God, and let him solve, and surprise.  Your job is to wait, trust, honor, thank, and expect a wondrous answer."

Oh my soul, wait only upon God!

What are we to learn from Balaam's talking Donkey?

"Balaam's Ass", 1626, by Rembrandt

As I continue my year-long journey through my ESV Study Bible, it occurs to me that God continually presents himself in remarkable, and to many post-modern eyes, unbelievable ways.

Not small is the crowd that would have us believe this story to be allegorical.  I do not fall into that camp.  For one thing, who am I to chose what is allegory, and what is not.

Furthermore, I have chosen to believe that the Bible is the literal, and inerrant word of God.  But that is for another post.

It brings me wonder that God would speak to, and through this pagan seer.  Obviously, this dude was well known in the land, as kings were summoning him for advice, and willing to be gouged by Balaam as he ploys to extract the most money out of the situation.

Then, remarkably, as Balaam is on his journey to speak with his client kings, his donkey freaks out at the sight of a sword bearing angel in the road.

Balaam is blind to this, and God speaks to Balaam through the lips of the donkey.  I think here God is supplying all of Christianity with a test.  Do you believe my words?  Do you believe that I can make a donkey speak?

Beyond that, it is most amusing that here God would use a donkey to see his angel, and remarkably speak through a donkey!  Is not this the world's great seer?  Does he not profess to see things that no man sees? 

As I read this story, I can certainly see how our world clamors for the seers sage advice.  A great many follow after television personalities turned spiritual guide, or run to lecture halls to hear men of great intellect tells us how there is no God.

Sometimes, I wonder if the crickets looks at us with disdain.  I wonder if they say to themselves, "for being the ones who are to subdue the land, you sure are a blind, and proud species."

Is it possible that a cricket possesses more truth of God then most of humanity?

Christian Human Rights Attorney Gao Zhisheng Kidnapped by Chinese Government

Today I received an e-mail from the Christian organization,  The Voice of the Martyrs.

As of this date, 103 days have passed since human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng was kidnapped by the Chinese government.

Everything that you need to know about this situation is contained on the Help Free Gao Zhisheng website.

I implore you, do something.  At the very least, forward this post so that together we might raise our voice, not only to God, but in protest to the Chinese Government.