Hammer on Anvil '

"While He was in Jerusalem at Passover time, during the festivities many believed in Him as they saw the signs that He gave. But Jesus did not trust himself to them—for He knew them all. He did not need anyone to tell Him what people were like: He understood human nature" (John 2:23-25, J.B. Phillips New Testament).

Jesus knows what is in the hearts of each one of us, so when He walked this earth, He knew better than to trust in any man. Even the 12 men He walked with and performed miracles with on a daily basis fled when it would seem He needed them the most.

That's just the point, though -- He didn't NEED them at all. He was so completely His Father's that He did not need other people. His agony at Gethsemane was such that He sweat drops of blood as He prayed. He asked the disciples to watch with Him -- He wanted them to intercede on His behalf as He asked God to spare Him an excruciating death on a cross. But even then, in a time of overwhelming sorrow and need, the disciples failed Him. They fell asleep. Peter even denied he knew Jesus, because he was afraid he might also be crucified.

A recent Oswald Chambers devotional addressed Jesus' attitude about all this, and it blows me away:

Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never bitter, never suspicious, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God's grace could do for others.

This is amazing to me. Human relationships really bite sometimes, and I have been hurt and disappointed more times than I care to recount. Yet Jesus says I don't need to despair. I don't need to be cynical and bitter about people. Why? Because He is my Father, and a proper relationship with Him means my happiness and fulfillment in life does not depend on human relationships. Yes, I treasure my husband, my kids and grandkids. I treasure the friends He has given me, but I realize they are all fallible just as I am. They will not always be there when I need them. They will fail me at times, just as I have failed them.

Unfortunately I am not at the point yet that I "trust no man," but I have come a long way. I am learning that God is the only one who warrants my complete trust. I try not to place unrealistic expectations on other people, and instead trust the Holy Spirit to work in them. I am learning to rejoice instead of complain, and pray instead of worry. If someone is mean and grumpy, it's okay. If somebody doesn't like me, that's okay too. And I've actually come to view being "unfriended" on Facebook as a badge of honor. It usually means I spoke truth that got all up in somebody's business, and they didn't have the courage to take a long, hard look at themselves.

I am not saying I'm a "Lone Ranger Christian" who doesn't need relationships. God is big on relationships, and we are to build each other up in our faith. What I am saying is that I am learning to not trust in human relationships, because they are fickle. And I am learning, to my joy and delight, that when I trust God implicitly and guard my relationship with Him above all else, suddenly the pain and disappointment of other relationships does not affect me nearly as much.

Trust your Father in heaven, my friends. Psalm 84:10 says that ONE DAY in His courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. If you have not spent a day in His courts for a while, and you are getting sour about other people, it's time to get on your face before God and give Him the glory due His Name. The sweetness of His presence is like no other, and you will come away wondering why you didn't do it long ago!

Being a parent has taught me a lot about the character of people and big things in life, but what it has taught about the Heavenly Father is life-changing.

God wants a personal, unique relationship with you. He doesn't want you to be Beth Moore or Billy Graham; He already has relationship with those people. He wants a relationship with you.

Last week I had the honor of going to see Macklemore and Ryan Lewis preform at MSU. I admire Macklemore's words and the album "The Heist" has brought more truth into my life than the last 10 years of "Christian" albums combined.

Now, before you get all hot and bothered about me saying God spoke to me through a "secular" artist, hear me out. God made a burning bush (Exodus 3) and an abused donkey (Numbers 22) speak His message. He says He will make the very rocks cry out to praise Him if we don't (Luke 19), so what makes you think God can't use Macklemore's words to speak truth into my life?

With one high school and one middle school student in my house, I have found myself pondering adolescent friendships quite a bit lately. The teenage years are a difficult time for young men and ladies. It's the time when responsibility grows as well as freedom.  Emotional maturity begins to develop, and the adjustment can be tough.

The Bible has a lot to say about our friendships. First, a warning about the quality of folks we spend our time with:  He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. -Proverbs13:20.

Also, a word about making big decisions: Proverbs 12:15-The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. 

Maybe the most important of all: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Jesus encourages us to reach out to people who need Him. He doesn't want us to shy away from what some would consider a less desirable crowd. However, we need to always remember that we are to be in the world, but not of it. Followers of Christ need to be purposeful in developing relationships with others who will remind us who we belong to.  Our relational lives need to be balanced to keep us accountable to the Word.

Matthew 14 recounts the story of John the Baptist's murder. It begins as a classic story: King Herod made a foolish promise to a girl, in front of his friends and advisers, because she was pretty. 'Anything you want, I'll give you,' he said. When she returned from counsel with her mother, she asked for John's head on a platter. Herod had previously been too afraid of a riot to kill John, but because of his pride, (and because his friends were still hanging around to see what would happen) he agreed.

John's disciples went to tell Jesus what had happened. Verse 13 says, "Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself,". The verse then goes on to say that the people followed Him. There's no pause in this story between Jesus' going away and the people following behind, but it's here I want to stop.

John was Jesus' cousin. Both men were prophecies fulfilled. They were linked by God's will. John's life's work was to clear the way for Jesus. I imagine Jesus' great grief over the death of someone so integral in His life. I believe His heart was broken. As human beings, we can empathize with grief over a deceased loved one.

The more I contemplate this grief, the thought comes over me that Jesus must grieve the same way over current events, such as wars. Men killing other men, regardless if necessary, must be very painful. I can identify with that as well. And what about crime? Murders, thefts, physical abuse...those things certainly would cause Christ to mourn. Then we really get down to the heart of the matter: when I think ugly thoughts about someone, it must make my Lord grieve.

Matthew 5:28 tells us that when a man looks upon a woman with lust, that he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. The condition of our hearts are revealed in our thoughts. If I think vindictively toward someone, it's a bit like murdering them in my heart.

Understanding what breaks the heart of God helps me to learn what and how He loves. More importantly, it helps me to empathize and identify with my Creator. I realize, though, that my sinful nature will cause me to stumble, and that as hard as I strive to meditate on the things of God, I will still fail from time to time.

Being a child of God is much like being a child of my parents. I am raised by their values, and the things that are important to them are likely the things that are important to me. When I allow myself to be "raised" by God, the same thing will happen. My priorities will come in line with God's, as will my thoughts and actions.