Drawing My Sword?

We've had some moments lately where things to come in the future have been (and remain) unclear. As it happens, Providentially, I'm sure, the lessons I've been teaching in our small group Ladies' class at church, the book I'm reading with my discipleship girls (Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper), and in talks I've heard on the internet, the Lord has been teaching me about the products of a life that follows Him.

Our small group class for College Ladies is studying Men of the Bible (the lesser-known ones). So far we've studied Jonathan, Job, Caleb, Joseph, and Boaz, and we've covered the godly qualities that they displayed as they lived out their faith in easy and in hard times. Incidentally, those qualities are love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. (We didn't plan to do a study on fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22,23 - but look what God can teach despite us) Every one of those are things that have challenged me in recent times.

The book I'm reading talks about what makes a life truly worthwhile, what assures that it is not wasted, what true Purpose is...glorifying the One who created us with everything we do. Lately I've read the chapters on doing just that through times of pain and death, and also about learning to take risks, not for the sake of risk itself or for pride, but so that Christ can be magnified.

Then today, I listened to a talk by a pastor who went to A&M around the same time we did. Again, the Lord challenged and encouraged me. As we approach Easter week, those of us who attend church expect to hear sermons on Christ's road to the Cross. This pastor, however, doesn't aim for topical lessons. He's been preaching through the Gospel of John for about a year, and he is just now reaching the chapter that describes Christ's arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Planned or not, that is very timely to the holiday season.) The perspective he took, though, is very applicable to all of us in whatever stage of life we're in. I encourage you to listen to it by clicking here if you have the chance. The sermon is titled The Sin of the Drawn Sword.

Lastly, I have another song to share with you as I did previously. It is called Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin and it is based upon Isaiah 40... waiting for the Lord. It is available for listening on the "McDonaldspot Radio" to your right. (If you click forward to find that particular song too many times, you may be asked to stop and listen for a while...that's how the FineTune service I use works.)