I love the smell of rain, especially when mixed with the ionized air of a thunderstorm. I enjoy the sound of the falling sheets of water, and the raindrops on the roof. Watching them dance on the road, or falling on the leaves, pausing only a moment before continuing their descent to the ground inspires awe at the vast simplicity of nature’s beauty, and God’s creativity, and it is a beautiful creativity with a purpose.

The sights, sounds, and smells that I enjoy in these moments are signs of the heavens refreshing the earth. Each raindrop brings life to grass and trees, to wildflowers and potted plants. Animals will cool off in the showers and refresh themselves with these waters. All living things will be nourished through the life-giving rain. Even I will find future blessings as well water is replenished, and the natural beauty I love is sustained. Far beyond Doppler images and weather forecasts, such storms are the fingerprint of God upon all life.

Simultaneously, these rainstorms are a force of great power. As I watched the rain falling Friday night, in sheets off the roof of our front porch, not far away, people were being evacuated from campsites for safety, and streams and rivers were rising to dangerous levels. In some places these waters were causing significant damage. Basements flooded, and cars, homes, and businesses were destroyed. This is powerful beauty.

I’ve heard a number of praise songs and prayers that invite the Holy Spirit to rain down upon us. It is a fitting image of the beauty of God’s refreshing grace. It is also an invitation to be filled with God’s awesome power. These images overflow with meaning, but when we speak them, do we really consider what we are asking for? We desire refreshing, and strength to walk victoriously through our lives, but are we ready for all the Spirit will unleash?

A woman in a church I served once said to me, “Pastor, I feel like the Holy Spirit is in our church, but I also feel like we keep him under glass. We want his presence, but we are cautious about letting him move.” I shared this reflection with our leaders and from our conversation came an initiative we titled, “Take the Lid Off.” It was a bold decision, and a bolder request. What would happen if we let the Spirit do whatever he wanted?

A few weeks after we began sharing our vision with the whole congregation, a man came to see me. He was worried. “If we do this thing… if we take the lid off of the Holy Spirit, things could get out of hand,” he said. He was more insightful than he knew. I wanted to comfort him, assure him that everything would stay in order, but I knew better. We were asking God to release the power of the Spirit. In some places, that would be a gentle, refreshing rain. In others, it would be a flood that would destroy the things that held us back from God’s best for us. Unlike the recent, powerful thunderstorms, the results would all be beneficial, yet similarly, the experience would be anything but easy, in some places.

Clearly, God is not the source of calamity in our lives. Jesus demonstrated God’s heart was one of compassion. Repeatedly, in the Gospels, it says, “he had compassion on them…” Still, the Holy Spirit is not to be played with, as if the Spirit were merely an agent of God to make us happy and give us what we want. The Holy Spirit is God. He works in us to produce God’s will for our lives and for the world. The Spirit is the powerful beauty of God intimately at work in human lives.

Inviting the Holy Spirit to rain down is an excellent, and worthy prayer. Such a prayer is much more than seeking spiritual goosebumps or expecting some cosmic good vibes. Asking for the rain of the Spirit, is asking for the manifest reign of God. It is trusting God for what is best, and yielding every part of our lives to God’s desire and and design. God loves to manifest the Spirit in our lives, but never does so on our terms. God does not perform for us, rather, God produces spiritual fruit in us. This may come in the form of refreshing rains upon the soil of our heart, or it may result in the stripping away of what is lifeless so that new life can spring forth. Typically, like awe-inspiring thunderstorms, it is both. When the powerful beauty of God is released in our midst, that creative force will remake us. As Jesus said in Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new.”

This may sound frightening, but God is not the source of fear. God is, however, worthy of our respect and awe. It is no small thing to invite God into our lives, but when we do, we will see the true goodness of God’s powerful beauty at work. We will become reflections of God, powerful in the Spirit, and beautiful in Christ.

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“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” – Psalm 108:1-4

I am not a morning person. Although I am more used to rising early, it never quite seems like my natural habitat. People often talk to me about the joy of seeing the sunrise, but I tend to think, “If God wanted me to see the sunrise, it would be scheduled later in the day.” Nevertheless, my schedule, and daybreak, do coincide occasionally.

Some sunrises are spectacular, rivaling any beautiful sunset. Others, like this morning, are not immediately inspiring. The growing daylight reveals overcast skies and rain clouds. There is no flaming ball of fire, rising over the horizon; no glorious splashes of red, orange, and yellow, set against the backdrop of the dark blue sky. The light brightens, revealing grey skies and muted colors. It doesn’t seem quite as spectacular.

The psalmist declares he will, “awaken the dawn.” I hear those words and immediately picture the light breaking through the mists on the field to reveal the vivid color of creation. In my mind, it is always a wondrous display, as light overcomes darkness and the full spectrum of life is made visible. I never picture gray, cloudy mornings, until today.

Although the clouds and rain are hiding the glory of the morning sun, the sunrise is no less wondrous. It’s brightness and color are as beautiful as ever, even if it is hidden from my sight. Today, I must trust my knowledge of what I cannot see, and bring to mind the memories of the beauty of previous experiences.

It is in the gray mornings, and seasons, of our lives, that our hearts must remain steadfast. It is in the moments that do not seem glorious that we need to sing and make melody, and in the darkness that we remember that God’s love and faithfulness are higher than the heavens. The joy of faith is easy when things are bright and beautiful, and we should declare our praise in those times, but we are blessed when we remember continue to declare our praise, and maintain steadfast trust in God when it is not easy to see.

We are all tempted to let our experiences and feelings dictate our faith, but we are much better off when we let our faith inform, and shape, our experiences and feelings. Jesus told his disciples, “In this life you will have troubles, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) As people of faith, we do not ignore the realities of life, nor do we pretend everything is good. Instead, we see life for what it is, yet we choose to remember God’s love and faithfulness, and look beyond what we can see in the moment. We choose to trust that the sun is shining even when we cannot see it. We choose to walk by faith.

Today, things may appear gray and gloomy, but we can still sing and give praise in our heart. When we do, we will let that inner truth turn even the darkest day into a glorious sunrise of the Spirit.

Our hearts are steadfast, O God, our hearts are steadfast!

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“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” – Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV

God finds unexpected ways to get your attention, and if you are willing, your awareness Divine presence will teach you everything.

The morning was fairly routine. There were a number of things on my “to-do” list, but I began with some time alone with God on our front porch. It’s become a bit of sacred space for me as I enter God’s presence to the sound of birdsong, roosters crowing, and squirrels chattering. I even get some of nature’s visitors who join me for devotions. I love reflecting on Scripture and praying in the stillness of this serene environment.

This morning, God’s inroad was going to be different. It seemed like every other morning, but I struggled to stay focused. The list of things I needed to do kept creeping into my thoughts and I would need to re-center. Then came the noise. It was not a loud noise, just a persistent, rhythmic squeaking. I thought it might be the neighbor’s chickens at first, but it was too uniform and constant. Honestly, in my distracted state, it was annoying.

Looking up from my prayers, I found the source. A lone child on our church playground was fully enjoying one of our swings. I thought, “this can’t last much longer,” but it did. I was about to abandon my devotional time and launch into work, when I realized God was speaking, and speaking through the noise of a swing. While I was busy seeking some deep insight, this precious child of God was embracing pure joy. It was as if God kept saying, “Quit trying so hard, and savor my presence.” So I did, and it was far better than what I planned.

We can get caught in our efforts, however well-intentioned, and miss the revelation meant for us. God is always speaking to us, sometimes in ways we don’t expect and may not be listening to. If we will remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit, our senses will be heightened to recognize when something ordinary is anything but that.

Just as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, we need the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened so that we can see God’s revelation. It may not be a child or a swing set, but God invites us to live with eyes of wonder to see, and experience, the joy of the Lord. We need our spiritual disciplines, including reading the Bible and prayer, but we will also benefit from open hearts to hear what God is saying to us through the world around us. While that revelation will never oppose the Word of God, it will help us discover a deeper awareness of God’s word to us.

Today, may the Spirit help us remain open, attentive, and receptive to what God is saying to us through all of life.

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Identifying the sources of negative spiritual gravity in our lives is the first step to breaking free. When we see what is holding us back, those things begin to lose some power in the light of that exposure, but knowing gravity exists will not give us the power to overcome its pull. We need to take active steps to move upward. Here are five steps that can build the momentum we need.

Dream God-Sized Dreams

Do you remember your imagination? You probably used it a lot when you were younger, but in the course of maturity, we become more conservative in our vision and we constrain our dreams. God dreams big dreams, and you are created in God’s image. You were made to pursue grand visions, not to settle for what is common, or easy. The first step toward breaking free from the sources of negative spiritual gravity is to give our imaginations permission to dream big again.

What would you do if you had nothing holding you back? What captivates your heart? What is burning within you, crying to be free? These are the questions to ask, and ponder. Take the shackles off of your dreams, and embrace the Biblical promise that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Remember, we have a God who can do, “exceedingly, abundantly beyond all we can ask or imagine through his power that is at work within you.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Take Hold of the Vision

Dreams remain dreams until we embrace them, then they become a vision. Keep dreaming, but as you begin to resonate with your dreams, let them become visions that draw you forward. To use the rocket illustration of the past two days, launches do not happen by accident, nor are they just to see the rocket go up. There is a clear vision of the rocket’s purpose, direction, and destination. Dreams must be distilled into a vision. Even if all of the details are not clear, the next step is to own the vision that is growing within you. Once you take hold of it, the clarity will begin to come, and you will be on your way. God reminded the prophet Habakkuk, “The vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

Fill Your Tank with Faith

You cannot create energy without fuel, and that fuel is faith. Breaking free will involve building our faith, and increasing the capacity for faith in our lives. Start with what you have. If your faith is low, then use what you have to accomplish small victories. A series of small steps accomplishes the same thing as a giant leap, and with each step completed, your faith will grow.

It is also important to feed on inspiration. Read Scripture, pray, and spend time in fellowship with others who dream God-sized dreams. Read books by people with vision and faith. Savor the stories of faith-filled people, both past and present. It is very easy to find stories of defeat and discouragement. Make the effort to fill yourself with things that strengthen your faith and deepen your dreams.

As hard as it is to hear, it may be necessary to remove yourself from voices that speak negativity and defeat. It is very hard to build faith when others are holding you back. I am not suggesting our relationships with people are merely expendable, but embracing the dream God plants in your life may require limiting the impact some people have on your life and energy. Instead, surround yourself with people who will share their faith and help you fill your tank.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Breaking free from what holds us back involves playing one of the greatest, and most significant, games of follow the leader. Just as driving requires keeping our eyes on where we want to go, so moving forward into our destiny demands that we keep our eyes on the One who is leading us into it.

You might remember the story of the Apostle Peter. He was in a boat with the other disciples when they saw a figure walking on the waves. At first they are afraid, but then they realize that it is Jesus. Peter calls out to Jesus with a burst of faith and says, “Tell me to come out to you.” Jesus makes that invitation and Peter responds. Eyes on Jesus he begins to walk upon the same waves, out to where Jesus is. Somewhere along the way, he moves his attention from the One who called him to the waves surrounding him. With that simple shift of his gaze, he begins to sink into the water, causing Jesus to come to his rescue.

When our eyes are on Jesus, we can do amazing things. When we look away, we begin to sink. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Don’t Look Back

Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Again, this is not a condemnation, merely a statement of fact. If we keep longingly looking back toward what held us captive, our fitness level is not ready for the demands of the race before us. Imagine an Olympic runner trying to win a race while looking back at the starting line. It simply doesn’t work. While God was surely with us in that place in the past, God is with us now calling us into our future. Remembering where we came from and what we did is fine, but our gaze must remain forward to run a fit race.

With these steps in mind we can trust Jesus to lead the way and the Holy Spirit to empower us to achieve the destiny God is calling us to embrace. I would love to say it is easy, but that is simply not true. Great things require great effort, and our calling is a great calling. However, if we remain faithful and disciplined; if we will persevere with passion, we will break free from the strongholds holding us back and soar into our future with Christ.

We will wrap up this theme looking at the wonder and beauty that is found soaring with Christ. Until then, let the Spirit build your faith, and keep your eyes on Jesus.

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One of keys to going deeper in our faith is a commitment to press into God. The concept of pressing in is often hard to fully understand and can sound like just another piece of Christian jargon. Once understood, however, it becomes a powerful tool in creating a robust Christian life.

So, what exactly does it mean to press into God? Is it reading more Scripture, extending our time in prayer, or being more active in church, or is it something different? While it may include some of these things, pressing in is not just about doing more, it is about persistently cultivating an awareness of God’s presence and savoring that relationship in every circumstance.

If you’ve ever made microwave popcorn, or watched someone else make it, you already know something of the nature of pressing in. The process is fairly simple. You place the bag in the microwave in the proper position, set the timer for the time listed in the instructions, and allow the popcorn to heat and to pop. It is that simple.

Now, imagine the instructions said to heat it in the microwave for 2 ½ minutes, but instead of setting the timer that way, you chose to set it for 15 seconds, then removed it, put it back in for 15 seconds, and repeated this action for a total of ten times. The total heating time would be the same, but the result would be far different. Instead of a bag of delicious popcorn, you would produce a bag of burnt kernels that never popped.

For many, the Christian experience is made up of occasional visits with God, rather than a continued life of staying in God’s presence. A devotional here, a church service there, mingled with an occasional prayer, will not produce the same results as soaking up God’s presence and saturating ourselves in the truth.

Jesus told his disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He was clear that our identity, direction and life were to be found in relationship with him. He also said, “My word is truth.” Which is why we need to keep ourselves immersed in God’s word. When we regularly fill ourselves with the word of God, and live in a dynamic relationship with the Living Word, Jesus Christ, we are pressing into the presence of God. It is there that we are transformed.

Saturating ourselves with the truth may mean that we need to study more Scripture and pray more, but it may also mean that we need to meditate on Scripture, chewing it over and over to release its deeper meaning. We may need to memorize parts that strengthen our spirits. As the Psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. We may need more personal worship, more stillness to listen, more time spent in the community of faith, and more awareness of God’s presence. There is no formula, rather it is an intentional decision to seek God in all things, at all times, and in all places. Pressing in means that we do not shrink back, or settle for what we already have in our relationship with God. Instead, we consistently continue to cultivate that relationship so that better fruit is produced and in greater abundance.

The Scripture clearly states that, “we reap what we sow.” The more of our resources and ourselves we sow into our relationship with God, the greater the harvest of faith we will see in our lives, and the deeper that faith will become. As we press into God, we are filled to all the fullness of Jesus Christ, and his presence overflows our lives into our circumstances, our families, and the world. Regular visits with God are good, living in God’s presence is great. Deep faith requires the deep roots that come from saturating ourselves with the presence of God.

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Whenever I think I have a sense of the vast, universal message of Christmas, I become aware of how much more there is to explore and understand. On the surface, it seems like such a straightforward story, and to some degree it is. Yet, the more we ponder God’s great act in Jesus Christ, and the longer we consider the all of the surrounding story of this holy birth, the more of God’s love we discover, and the greater revelation of God in Jesus we uncover.

Pondering is a good thing. In fact, one of my favorite quotes of the Christmas story comes in Luke’s narration of Jesus birth. After Mary receives a visit from an angel telling her she will give birth to the Messiah, after a dramatic confirmation by Elizabeth and another from Joseph, and after a long trek to Bethlehem which includes the testimony of some shepherds who declare angels have confirmed them message again, Luke says, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) Mary knew there was much, much more to consider than she understood at first glance.

Throughout history, this single verse from Luke was a favorite for those within the monastic traditions. It remains a special reflection to this day, because it echoes the heartbeat of those who would think deeply, and pray into, the profound things of God. So much of what there is to learn along our spiritual journey cannot be captured quickly. We need time to savor the details and mine the hidden treasures that lie well beneath the surface.

I am not suggesting that the revelation from God is not clear, nor should we be looking for strange, mystical interpretations of God’s word, but we should not settle for a quick reading that only skims the surface, when the word itself is inviting us into a deeper conversation. When Jesus was about to leave his disciples, he told them that the Holy Spirit was coming and that he would remind them of all Jesus said to them and teach them everything. That message is equally for us today. When we ponder, we are making room in our thoughts for the Holy Spirit to reveal what God is teaching us in that moment.

Like Mary, being good stewards of the word of God, the revelation of God, and our experience, involves pondering. It is active reflecting, which is the very definition of Christian meditation. Unlike other forms of meditation that seek to empty the mind, Christian meditation seeks to fill and the mind and spirit with the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It actively considers things seeking God’s perspective and insight, while trusting in the Spirit to reveal God’s word to us. Our insights should always be consistent with Scripture, but we should remember that, when we think we understand, we should understand there is more to be understood.

As we continue on our Christmas journey, instead of wishing the season was over, maybe we should be thankful for the time to reflect on the deeper things God would say to us this year as we, like Mary, treasure all these things and ponder them in our hearts.

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I find it striking that this teenage girl, when confronted with an amazing reality, and with many potentially negative implications in her life, chose to respond with praise. It would be one thing if she said, “If that is what God wants, I will do it, but I’m honestly a little intimidated.” Instead, she accepts the calling with joy and begins to declare the praise of God.

Praise is a powerful tool, but at its root, it is the spirit’s reaction to the greatness, and the faithfulness, of God. More than just some songs we sing, or words we say, praise is the response that bursts forth from within as we encounter the Spirit of God. You may remember Jesus saying, as he entered Jerusalem to the praise of the crowds, that if they did not praise the very rocks would cry out. An encounter with God produces a spirit of praise.

There are currently, many postings on social media and Christian media, along with numerous Christian cards and items that proudly declare, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” I respect the sentiment. As a Christian, I believe this season is dedicated to the praise of the Savior. The bigger picture, however, is that, as a Christian, Jesus is the reason for my praise every day and in every season. The One who captivates my heart and calls me to know him more is worthy of my praise in every moment of my life, as he is for all who bear his name.

When John was expressing his vision of the throne room of heaven early in Revelation, he makes it profoundly clear that everything gives praise to the Lamb of God, Jesus. The whole worship of heaven is offered in praise of him. If all of heaven continuously stops to give praise and glory to the Savior, then our lives should be marked by that response of praise as well. It is the cry of our heart to offer praise and worship to God, through the Son, Jesus Christ.

In our second worship service this morning, the children will take over the message with their Christmas play. They practiced for many weeks to come and share this powerful story. Through the voices of these children of God, we will once again be reminded of Mary’s praise, and the praise of the angels. We will watch as shepherds and kings come to worship and adore the newborn King. We will be reminded of God’s gracious gift in the infant Christ, and we will be a part of the body of Jesus’ disciples who join in the offering of praise.

Today, as we move closer to Christmas Day, let us set our affections on him of whom the angels sing? Like Mary, let’s respond to God’s call in Jesus with a song of praise that declares the promise of hope, joy, and peace. May our spirits burst with praise for the Holy One, for he alone is worthy.

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